Family Ties
by Kryptonite
Summary: PRNS. Just some insight into Dustin and his life. Will have another ranger (besides the Green Ranger). Enjoy and please R/R. Lot better than it sounds.
1. Revelations

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part One: Revelations  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Of course  
  
Summary: The group needs to talk and goes to Dustin's house where we meet Danni. Then Danni and Dustin have a 'chat' and then we jump to Storm Chargers where Dustin is working and trying to avoid awkward questions.  
  
A/N: Hi. I've had this idea in my head for a couple of days. It's come out a few different ways, but I thought this worked well. If you like I hope you'll review and tell me. People who review are my favorite people in the world. So enjoy, and please R/R. Thanks.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" We can go to my house and talk." Dustin suggested without thinking.  
  
" Okay." Tori agreed, not really paying attention.  
  
" But-" Dustin tried.  
  
" But what?"  
  
" I don't know." Dustin looked at his watch. " Someone might be home." He looked concerned to the group.  
  
" So?"  
  
" It's just. We'll have to talk in my room. Only soundproof room in the house."  
  
" That's fine."  
  
" Yeah let's go." Dustin grimaced as the four stepped in front of him, then paused.  
  
" Where do you live?" Shane asked after looking around. It was just another reminder to Dustin why he didn't usually bring people home.  
  
" This way." Reluctantly, Dustin showed the group the way to his home.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Danni! You home? Danni!" Dustin thundered after stepping through the door.  
  
" Dude, who you calling?"  
  
" I'll be right there!" Someone called back from behind another door. The door swung open as someone pushed it open. Danni emerged backwards, carrying a laundry basket full of clean clothes in her hands.  
  
" Hey Danni." Dustin said, opening a door next to him.  
  
" Thanks. Since when do we have guests?" She asked, giving him a quick hug.  
  
" Hi." Tori spoke up.  
  
Smiling, " Hey. Since you probably want to talk to your friends, and I'm assuming it's important, check under your bed, third drawer in your dresser and the top shelf in your closet." Danni ticked the places off on her fingers.  
  
" You've been spying on me?" Dustin asked, smiling at the girl in front of him, half-exasperated.  
  
" Someone has to," she said simply. Turning around she picked up a pile of clothes from the basket. " I did laundry today."  
  
" That's great. Why aren't you in school?"  
  
" Teacher work day." Danni had moved into the kitchen. Dustin set the clothes back in the basket and closed the door before following her.  
  
" Oh. Did you take your medicine?"  
  
" Yes." Danni was rummaging through the refrigerator.  
  
" Did you really take it? Or did you flush it down the toilet again?"  
  
" Last time I did that, you tried to kill me. And even if I did, do you honestly expect me to tell you about it?"  
  
" Good point."  
  
" And any ways, Can't we have this argument when there *aren't* strangers present?"  
  
" Another good point. I'm just looking out for you."  
  
" So, Dustin. Nice house." Hunter tried to drag Dustin's attention from the mystery girl.  
  
" Yeah, my parents'."  
  
" Dude, you live with your parents?" Shane said, trying not to laugh.  
  
" Uh, yeah." Dustin looked at the floor, avoiding the incredulous look Danni was giving him. Slamming the fridge door, Danni brushed past Dustin.  
  
" If you need me, I'll be downstairs on the computer doing homework." The door to the basement slammed a few seconds later.  
  
" So, who's the girl?" Tori asked after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.  
  
" That would be my little sister."  
  
" I didn't know you had a sister." Tori and Shane spoke at the same time.  
  
" There's a lot you don't know. Anyway, since Danni's probably listening to her music, we can talk here."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" How could you let them think mom and dad are alive?"  
  
" I didn't want to tell them!"  
  
" So? You should have."  
  
" I don't care. I don't have to tell them."  
  
" You do if they're your friends. They deserve to know the truth."  
  
" So do I. Are you really taking your medicine?" Danni glared at him.  
  
" You're changing the subject."  
  
" So? You mentioned telling the truth."  
  
" I don't lie to my friends about the fact that my parents are six feet under!"  
  
Danni argued. Dustin held up his hands in defeat.  
  
" I'm going for a walk." She said, grabbing her coat and going out a side door.  
  
" I can't tell them. Not yet."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" So Dustin. What else don't we know?" Tori tried to tease the next day at Storm Chargers.  
  
" Not much. Kelly, where's the other bike you wanted me to fix?"  
  
" In the back."  
  
" Okay." Dustin said, already angling toward the storage room to grab the other bike.  
  
" Dustin, you're avoiding the question."  
  
" No I'm not. I told you there wasn't much. That's answering the question."  
  
" Vaguely."  
  
" So? I still answered the question. Blake give me a hand would ya?" Dustin and Blake had to move a few boxes out of the way before Dustin could take the bike into the shop with his tools.  
  
" He has a point Tori."  
  
" I guess you're right. Come on Blake."  
  
" Where we going." At a look from Tori, " Oh right." The two walked out the door just as Hunter was walking in.  
  
" What was up with the death look your sister was sending your way the other day."  
  
Dustin pretended he didn't hear. Of all people, Hunter had to pick up on that. Hunter had been good or at least, on the good side, for a month and a half now, but Dustin still wasn't completely ready to trust him.  
  
" Huh?" Dustin continued to work on the bike, refusing to look up at Hunter.  
  
" Hunter!" Kelly called just as he was taking a breath to say something.  
  
" Yeah?" He turned to look at the owner.  
  
" Can I talk to you in private?"  
  
" Sure." The two walked off with Kelly whispering quietly. Dustin was left alone with his thoughts. 


	2. Hiding

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Two: Hiding  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: The next day the other rangers are trying to find out more about Dustin's elusive past and he's avoiding them. Danni has problems, which cause the group to become even more curious.  
  
A/N: Okay I've finally gotten another chapter up *waits for the noise to die down* I'm glad those people who have reviewed like my story so far and here's another chapter. I already have a (sketchy) idea of how this is going to go so ideas or suggestions are appreciated. Please review and have a nice day.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Dustin's not here." Danni said upon answering the door.  
  
" We wanted to talk to you."  
  
" About?"  
  
" Dustin."  
  
" What's wrong?" Danni had yet to open, or even make a move to open, the screen door separating her from Dustin's friends.  
  
" Nothin'. Just wanted to ask a few questions."  
  
" Ask him." Danni said, closing the door in their faces. The group could hear a dead bolt scraping into place.  
  
" Friendly little thing, isn't she?" Shane asked sarcastically as the group turned away from the door.  
  
" She has a point though. We should be asking Dustin, not her." Hunter pointed out.  
  
" Let's go find the guy."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Hey Kelly is Dustin here?"  
  
" He left a few minutes ago, why?"  
  
" We need to talk to him."  
  
" I'll tell him you dropped by." Blake smiled at his boss.  
  
" Thanks." The group once more trooped out.  
  
" Thanks Kelly." Dustin said, popping up from behind the counter.  
  
" Anytime but may I ask why?"  
  
" I just don't feel like talking to them right now."  
  
" But they're your friends." Kelly argued watching as the boy went back to the calming task of fixing a bike that had been brought in for repair.  
  
" They met Danni." Kelly slumped back, losing a few inches, and her face fell with her.  
  
" Oh."  
  
" Yeah 'oh'. And now they're all curious."  
  
" You have to tell them eventually." Dustin restrained himself from throwing the wrench.  
  
" Danni said the same thing."  
  
" She's a smart kid. I'll leave you to your work." Kelly walked off leaving Dustin alone with his thoughts.  
  
" Too smart." Shaking his head he took a deep breath and dived back into the project.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Come on we've looked everywhere!" Tori complained back at Ninja Ops.  
  
" He's avoiding us. And if he knows why we're looking for him and he doesn't feel like talking or answering questions then I don't blame him." Hunter spoke up for the first time that day, staying unusually quiet.  
  
" He's not avoiding us. It's just bad timing." Shane said, trying not to believe Hunter.  
  
" Then we must have pretty crappy timing." Hunter mumbled slumping down in his chair and looking like he was ready to go to sleep.  
  
" Hunter has a point. There's too much 'bad timing' involved. Dustin's avoiding us, plain and simple." As always, Blake came to the defense of his beloved older 'brother'.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Danni? I'm home!"  
  
" I know, I know, you don't have to shout. If you remember correctly, you gave me permission to set up spy cameras focused on the front and back doors of the house." Dustin paused a moment as he thought.  
  
" Right, I did do that didn't I?"  
  
" Yep. Now if you wash your hands and sit down we can eat. I'm starving!" Laughing, Dustin moved to listen to his little sister who was acting more and more like an equal. Sitting down to eat, Dustin started talking.  
  
" So how was school?"  
  
" I got bored so I came home." Dustin's fork dropped to the plate with a clatter.  
  
" You cut school?"  
  
" Yep. I used my headaches as an excuse. The teachers know I'll make up the work. Heck, the teachers give me the work months in advance because of this. I already have all of it done so don't give me that look."  
  
" Are you having headaches again?" Danni started shoving the food on her plate around.  
  
" Yes." Danni held up a hand to stop him from talking. " And no I didn't flush the pills down the toilet. They just aren't working anymore."  
  
" Guess we'll have to go to the doctor's this week."  
  
" Yeah. How was your day?" Danni diverted the flow of conversation away from herself.  
  
" Not bad. Fixed a couple of bikes for Kelly before hitting the track."  
  
" Cool. By the way you're friends were looking for you earlier."  
  
" What did they want. I got dishes tonight don't I?"  
  
" Yep. They just wanted to ask some questions. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go throw up."  
  
" Wait, why?"  
  
" I'm still taking the stupid pills on schedule and I'm still throwing up after every meal. Then I'm gonna go downstairs for a bit. Talk to your friends and for heaven's sake tell them the truth." She kissed her brother on the cheek and hurried to the bathroom.  
  
Dustin winced at the sounds of his precious little sisters uncontrollable emptying of her stomach.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Hey Dustin," was chorused all around as Dustin walked into Storm Chargers.  
  
" Kelly?"  
  
" Yeah?" She asked, looking at him from the box she was emptying on to a shelf.  
  
" I need some time off. Danni's medicine isn't working anymore."  
  
" Take as much time as you need."  
  
" Thanks."  
  
" Tell Danni I hope she feels better!" Kelly called after Dustin's retreating back.  
  
" What's wrong with Danni?" Tori asked, looking from the door Dustin had just exited to Kelly who had resumed stocking the shelves.  
  
" You'll have to ask Dustin. Didn't I have two stock boys around here somewhere?" Kelly questioned, not looking back at the group of rangers.  
  
" Here." Hunter and Blake said in unison before dragging their feet off to work.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hartfelt- Thanks for your comments, and for being my first reviewer. I'm not a doctor so the medicine part (what it is etc) will wait for the next chapter. Hope you liked this!  
  
Heart-breaker86- Here's the next chapter, maybe not as soon as you would have liked but, better late than never, right?  
  
Aniterra_date- The next chapter, hope this is interesting enough.  
  
Sparkling Pink Ranger- Everyone portrays Dustin as this big goofball and there could be a dozen reasons why. I just decided to use the reason that he isn't able to act that way at home.  
  
Amanda- Sorry it took so long.  
  
MidnightLoner- All will be revealed soon enough... okay it should be coming up in a few chapters if not the next one. Maybe I'll have it in nightmare form... I don't know. It'll come to me (hopefully faster than this chapter did)  
  
Doyles-always- I usually always* have more. Hope you liked it as much as you did the first chapter.  
  
Okay, thanks for reading and by pushing the little 'go' button on the bottom and to the left of this screen you can leave me a note saying you read and any comments you want to add. Please? Thanks. 


	3. Social Calls

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Three: Social Calls  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Same day (then a couple of days later) Danni and Dustin get back from the doctors, a message on the machine from the social worker, phone call to their aunt and then the driving away of the social worker.  
  
A/N: Alright, here's the question of the hour... don't worry I'll remember it... eventually. Okay, my third chapter (got the inspiration the other day) and it didn't come out exactly the way I wanted but it works. Please review, they really make my day and I hope you all like it. Enjoy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Okay, thanks doc."  
  
" Bye Doctor Edmond." Danni called as she and Dustin walked out the door.  
  
" If you have anymore problems come talk to me." Danni just lifted her hand in acknowledgement and got into the front seat.  
  
" This is going to be painful." Danni told her brother as he pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
" I can only imagine."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" I'll start dinner." Danni said, throwing the keys onto the table next to the door with a jingle.  
  
" I'll check the machine." Dustin moved to where the answering machine was set up after hanging the keys on a hook. The little red light that told them they had messages was flashing.  
  
*" Ms Johnson. I will be by in a few days to check on the living arrangements of you and your niece and nephew."* As the machine continued spitting out information, Dustin picked up the phone and dialed a well- remembered number.  
  
" Hey Aunt Teresa... Yeah the social workers coming by... yep... three days... bring a bunch of personal junk that we can throw around the house... okay... okay... I'll see you then... bye Aunt Teresa." Dustin hung up the phone and turned to see his sister leaning against the doorframe.  
  
" Let me guess. Social worker?" Dustin simply played back the message.  
  
" I'll go clean the quest room."  
  
" Dinner first." Danni shook her head.  
  
" I just took the new medicine. I don't want to eat until morning. Just in case."  
  
Dustin took a deep breath and let it out, " Okay, but I want you to try to eat something before you go to sleep." Danni came over and kissed her brother on the cheek.  
  
" No worries bro. We'll get through this. We always get through."  
  
" Let's just pray and see where we end up." Danni chuckled and went to go clean the room her favorite Aunt would be staying in. " I'm praying." Dustin muttered, thinking of how that was their father's favorite motto. " Help us."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" It says here you're on medicine?" The woman sniffed her nose like she had been since she had entered the house. She was acting totally prudish.  
  
" Yes."  
  
" For?"  
  
" Headaches." Danni didn't elaborate knowing full well that all the information was on the clipboard in the woman's neatly manicured hands.  
  
" Has that cleared up any?" The social worker didn't even notice Danni stiffening and her eyes turning to burning embers.  
  
" I recently had to get it strengthened since it wasn't working anymore."  
  
" Why wasn't it working?"  
  
" You tell me."  
  
" I believe that I am here to determine if your Aunt is a suitable guardian for you. Not to be patronized by a twelve year old." She sniffed again.  
  
" I'm seventeen. And my Aunt is the only family Dustin and I have left. She's the best person for the job."  
  
" Why wasn't the prescription working?"  
  
" Because. The prescription was no longer strong enough to deal with the pain levels."  
  
" Fine." The lady made a few marks on a clean sheet of paper.  
  
" My Aunt takes care of me just fine. She even takes care of Dustin, though he doesn't need to be taken care of anymore since he's an adult. Dustin and my aunt work to make sure we can keep this house. I even got a part time job to help pay for my medicine so it's not such a strain. I'm a straight-A student."  
  
" You pay for your own medicine?"  
  
" Help. I help pay for my medicine. Why are you taking everything I say out of context?"  
  
" I am not taking everything you say-"  
  
" You are. I say I'm helping to pay because I'm concerned about the strain it's putting on my aunt and older brother's wallets. I want to help because this is my house and my family and family sticks together."  
  
" I didn't mean-"  
  
" Yes you did. You're purposely trying to find any excuse to take me away from the one safety net I have."  
  
" I am-"  
  
" Glad you finally admit what you're doing." The woman stood up and huffed out. The trio waited until hearing the car take off before anyone moved or spoke and then after that they still waited a good ten minutes to make sure it wasn't going to come back.  
  
" So, was I as good as usual?" Danni asked, not bothering to look at her aunt or brother.  
  
" That was amazing." Her aunt pulled her into a hug, dragging her off the back of the couch and onto the couch itself.  
  
" How do you do that?" Dustin asked joining in on the group hug.  
  
" Hey, if I can do this until I turn eighteen we wont have to worry about it."  
  
" Well, I'm going to head home early in the morning so kisses and then I'm going to bed." Dustin and Danni moved towards their aunt before she sprung lithely to her feet and went up the stairs.  
  
"' One of these days that talent for driving people insane is going to come in handy.' Isn't that what you said when I was littler?"  
  
" Yeah. Just wish it hadn't been this situation."  
  
" Bro, cheer up. We got through it."  
  
" Yeah I guess you're right." Dustin pulled his little sister into a hug. " I'm going to bed."  
  
" I'll be there in a little bit. Have a friend I want to talk to on-line."  
  
" Okay." Dustin ran a hand through his messy hair and yawned.  
  
" You really shouldn't have gotten up at four this morning."  
  
" Three thirty-five but whose counting?"  
  
" You apparently. Go get some sleep. I'll be up later."  
  
" Night Danni."  
  
" G'nite Dustin." Danni waited until she heard Dustin trudged heavily up the stairs before going down to the basement and turning her computer screen back on.  
  
~' Dude you there?'~  
  
^' Here.'^  
  
~' Thought you mighta bailed on me.'~  
  
^' What took you so long?'^  
  
~' Social worker.'~  
  
^' Ah. So how'd that go?'^  
  
~' Let's just say, she's not gonna be back here any time soon.'~  
  
^' What is it now? Ten down, four hundred some to go?'^  
  
~' Ha ha very funny.'~  
  
^' I have to go. Dad's calling. Talk to you tomorrow?'^  
  
~' Same time?'~  
  
^' You bet. Bye Ashes.'^  
  
~' Bye Camera.'~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Aniterra_date- Glad you liked the last chapter, glad it was interesting enough. Hope this one wasn't too boring. (  
  
Doyles-always- As always (with all the stories of mine you've reviewed) thanks so much for your wonderful reviews, really makes me want to update (of course any reviews make me want to update!)  
  
Teal- Glad you liked.  
  
Becky102285- This fast enough for you? Can't promise they'll all come this fast, depends on how much inspiration I get.  
  
So who do you think the person on the computer was? I already know who I want it to be but that won't be an issue for a little while anyway. Hope everyone enjoyed and those of you reading will be so kind as to go push the little 'Go' button next to the box saying 'Submit a review' if you do you'll get mentioned like those people above this (hint, hint). Thanks and hope you liked. 


	4. How

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Four: How  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: A day or two after Danni's instant messaging conversation. We learn more about Lothor's threat to the planet *shakes in her shoes* and what Cam's trying to do to fix it. Also a way to bring Danni into Ninja Ops.  
  
A/N: Fourth chapter (yay!) and people seem to like it (double yay!). I'm glad you liked Danni's reaction to the snooty social worker, didn't like her much myself and I wrote her! I'm planning on working the aunt back in later... not really sure... maybe. Anyway, thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews, they really make my day. Enjoy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Blake." Kelly called warningly for the third time.  
  
" Coming oh harsh task master. Bye Tori." With a peck to Tori's cheek, Blake walked off to see what Kelly wanted.  
  
" Is it always like that?" Tori asked Dustin, who was behind the counter cleaning up a little oil spill.  
  
" Not always. Just most of the time." Dustin got the slight spill cleaned up and went back to fixing the bike.  
  
" The majority of the time." Hunter said, coming to lean on the counter next to Tori. " Hey."  
  
" Hey."  
  
" Hunter." Kelly called from where she was telling Blake something.  
  
" Five minutes." Rolling her eyes in disgust, she turned back to Blake. Hunter turned back to Tori and shrugged.  
  
Shaking her head, Tori turned to look at Dustin. " How's your sister?" Tori noticed the barely perceptible stiffening, and only because she and Dustin had been friends since starting at the Academy.  
  
" She's okay."  
  
" Oh Hunter!" Kelly called again.  
  
" Coming, coming." Hunter muttered before turning and pushing away from the counter. Laughing at his antics Tori turned to Dustin once more.  
  
" I'll see you all at Ninja Ops later, okay?"  
  
" See ya." Dustin called not once looking at his friend. Tori shrugged, shaking her head, and walked out the door, grimacing at the all too- familiar, and annoying, sounds of the bells attached above the door.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Hey Cam." Tori just glanced an instant message screen before Cam closed out of it. Tori stuck that piece of info back in the recesses of her mind and focused on the here and now.  
  
" Hey Tori. You wanna go through that sim now?"  
  
" Sure."  
  
" Just give me a second." Cam's fingers flew expertly over the keyboard. " Okay." Tori moved to stand where she was supposed to and the visual came up around her. Cam took a deep breath, watched Tori for a moment, and let it out slowly.  
  
Turning back to his computer he pulled up the window he had minimized once he was aware of Tori's presence.  
  
~' Well? You never answered my question.'~  
  
^' Sorry, I had to do something real quick. Least ways I got back on didn't I?'^  
  
~' Yeah... now answer my inquiry.'~  
  
Cam grinned at the screen before typing his answer. He sat back and waited for the person's response.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Danni?" Dustin called, trying to pull the keys out of the lock. He saw her trying to quietly exit the basement. Her cheeks were tinged pink.  
  
" Oh hey Dustin."  
  
" Hi. I thought I told you to get some rest." Danni had been up all night, sick as a dog. She just shot him a look saying 'Please' and went to pass by him and up the stairs.  
  
He caught her arm. " I just want you to get better." Danni closed her eyes and smiled a tight little fake smile.  
  
" Then find a miracle drug cause unless you do I'm gonna be like this for the rest of my life, short or as long as it wants to be."  
  
" You'll get better." He called up the stairs. Danni simply flipped her hand back at him and continued walking. " I have to go to Ninja Ops."  
  
" Bye." Floated down the stairs to grace his ears before disappearing like so much hot air.  
  
" Bye." Dustin went up to his room to change and walked out the door, musing about his sister's flippant attitude.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Now that you are all here." Sensei glance at Dustin knowingly. Dustin was to wrapped up in his thoughts about Danni to notice. " We can begin."  
  
" Lothor is planning some massive strike. He's gathered monsters from all over the galaxy as hired help."  
  
" How do we know this?" Shane asked, not completely up to date with Cam's newest and latest technological gadgets.  
  
" His ship has been the center for some major energy signatures lately. Look at it here," Cam pushed a button and an image of Lothor's ship popped up. He pushed another button and, " It's like looking at very big and very bright bug catcher."  
  
" Wow, pretty." Hunter teased, going zombie-like.  
  
" Shut up." One of the few times when Cam showed a backbone and Hunter stopped instantly.  
  
" Sorry." He muttered. Tori put her hand on his shoulder and then turned back to Cam.  
  
" So what're we gonna do?"  
  
" I've been working on a way to stop the energy signatures from materializing on Lothor's ship but I don't have the bugs worked out."  
  
" Danni." Dustin muttered. Of course it was one of those few moments when everyone and everything is silent and a pin dropping three miles away is heard.  
  
" Huh?" Everyone chorused at once and a similarly confused look graced everyone's face. Everyone except Sensei, that is.  
  
" Sorry, but I was thinking about my sister. She's a genius when it comes to this kinda thing."  
  
" Dustin you know we aren't able to bring your sister here." Sensei said, trying to sound sensible.  
  
" I know but it was just a thought." Dustin shrugged.  
  
" And if I can't get this to work, it may become a necessity." Cam warned the group.  
  
" You'll get it to work."  
  
" Yeah, you always do." Cam suppressed a sigh at Shane's attitude. A movement only his father and Tori caught.  
  
" It's not so simple this time. I not only have to know exactly how many frequencies these energy signatures are spanning, the exact location of Lothor's ship which likes to move, and how to fix it around the shields so one, it won't be detected and two, so it'll keep working without me watching it twenty-four seven."  
  
" Dude, we get it. It's gonna be hard." The words slipped out before Dustin could stop himself. ' I really need to work out some steam before coming here next time.'  
  
" It's going to be more than hard. It's going to be near impossible."  
  
" Everything we're able to do..." Tori started, waiting for Cam to finish.  
  
" Is because of what I'm able to do." Muttering under his breath Cam turned back to the screen to see his 'buddy' list pop up. Moving quickly, he was almost able to close it down before anyone saw.  
  
" So, what was that? Or should I say who?" Tori grinned, and from her look, Cam knew she had seen the name.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Aniterra_date- Your wish is my command.  
  
Doyles-always- Enigma code? I just couldn't resist the part of annoying the social worker so I'm glad you liked it. I'm very glad this mellowed you out!  
  
Mathais-8888- Did this answer your question? If not, it should come up in the next chapter or so. Glad you like my story I can't believe how many reviews I'm getting! By the way, like your name, it's really neat.  
  
Sparkling Pink Ranger- Like I said to Doyles, I just couldn't help myself. I'm glad you thought the interaction was good. I just needed to give her some depth with an acting talent. Did it work?  
  
The One And Only Trey- Here ya go!  
  
Okay, glad everyone liked the last chapter and seem to continue to like this story. *grins* If you have any suggestions just review and send 'em to me. If you do review, since this has happened to me, do me a favor and keep it CONSTRUCTIVE. I see absolutely no point in leaving flames that do little more than put down the authors writing.  
  
That hasn't happened with this story yet but it has happened on a few others. So just think of this as a pre-warning. I do accept flames as long as they are helpful. So do me a big huge favor and push the little 'go' button and leave a review.  
  
Thanks! 


	5. Blessings

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Five: Blessings  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Okay, next day or so. Just a little scene where Cam and Danni meet for the first time in person. We get two more mysteries, which will have to be worked out later.  
  
A/N: Hey people, I finally wrote this chapter (amazing!) and I know everyone's gonna be impressed... okay enough building myself up. I like this story and I really like the way this is going. Though I'm not completely sure how it'll end I do have an idea for the next few chapters. Please R/R and have a great ______ (insert time period here)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Hey Dustin, wanna come?" Tori asked, leaning over the counter and looking down on the crouched form of her friend.  
  
" I was planning on checking on my sister."  
  
" Bring her along. None of us have been properly introduced." Blake suggested, wrapping his arm around Tori's shoulders.  
  
" Okay, I'll ask her." Dustin stood up and wiped his hands on the towel. " Kelly I'm going to lunch."  
  
" Bye Dustin." She waved at the group before sighing and going back to her paperwork. " It's gonna take a miracle."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Danni?" Dustin pounded on the door. She had moved the key from it's spot and had locked not only all the windows but also both doors. The door suddenly flew open. Danni was pale and it looked like she had been sleeping.  
  
" What?"  
  
" Wanna go get some lunch?" Dustin had that look in his eyes saying 'And I won't take no for an answer'.  
  
" Ten minutes." She groaned and bolted as fast as she could up the stairs.  
  
" Make yourselves at home. Just... stay out of the basement."  
  
" Why?" Hunter asked, his hand hovering centimeters above the brass knob.  
  
" She'll kill ya." Dustin said, the truth ringing in his voice and in his eyes.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Okay, let's get this over with." Danni muttered coming down the stairs, not looking much better for having taken a shower.  
  
" Are you okay?" Dustin asked, stepping closer to her. She shrugged him off.  
  
" Yes, yes."  
  
" Okay then, quick introductions." Blake said when it looked like Dustin was going to continue to pester his sister.  
  
" Oh, right. Uh Danni this is Tori, Shane, Blake, and his brother Hunter. Cam's gonna meet us at the restaurant."  
  
" Okay," She paused, looking at the group. " Someone gonna make a move for the door?" Everyone seemed to snap awake and started moving towards the door.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Hi." Danni pursed her lips and nodded her head at Cam.  
  
" Uh, let's order something." The group seated themselves around the table and started scanning through the menu. Danni was the only one who didn't even open the book.  
  
" Can I take your order?" The group answered the waiter's question.  
  
" Just a sprite, thanks."  
  
" Are you sure you don't want to eat something? Not even... BBQ chicken? You like that."  
  
" Sprite's fine."  
  
" Okay." Dustin gave up after Danni kicked his shin. Tori stifled a snort at the image and the others started talking. Cam and Danni were pretty much left out, as they couldn't contribute helpfully to a conversation revolving around motocross bikes and skateboard tricks.  
  
" Looks good." " Dig in." Hunter and Blake spoke at once. Everyone dug in with relish. Danni sat back and watched while sipping at her drink.  
  
" So Danni, where are you going to school?"  
  
" The local high school. I'll be graduating this year." Dustin looked at his sister like she had grown a second head.  
  
" When did that happen?"  
  
" I told you. They give me my work months ahead. I passed two years by now." Dustin looked at his plate then transferred a bit of chicken to another plate.  
  
" Here. Eat this."  
  
Danni pushed it back towards the yellow wind ranger. " I'm not hungry."  
  
" You have to eat something."  
  
" I'll get something when we get home. I had a late breakfast." Her eyes were drawn to the door where someone was watching the exchange smugly. Danni shoved her chair back.  
  
" Excuse me." Her eyes were fixed on the gentleman in the door.  
  
" Danni?"  
  
" I'll be right back." Danni got to the door and was practically pulled out the door.  
  
" Having fun?"  
  
" Just give me the damn dose." She was already moving to roll her sleeve up.  
  
" What kind of attitude is that? You should be nicer or I won't give you the medicine." He teased.  
  
" Give me the shot or I make sure you can never pass on your family name and that you'll need to strap something there to do anything like that again. Understand?" He gulped, knowing full well that she'd go through with the threat.  
  
" Here. Little brat." He swiped at the skin with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. Plunging the needle in, he barely heard Danni's miniscule intake of breath.  
  
" Do me a favor and don't wait to do this in public next time, okay?" Danni said as she pulled her arm up to put pressure on the small puncture. The guy yanked her arm down and placed a Band-Aid the exact same color as her skin over the wound.  
  
" Don't tell me what to do or there won't be a next time." He disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Danni to go back to her brother and his friends.  
  
" What was that about?" Dustin's eyes never left his plate.  
  
" Just someone I needed to talk to."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" It was nice meeting you." Cam said, extending his hand to shake Danni's.  
  
" Il sole brillerà su lei e la sua famiglia."  
  
" Potere la luna lo benedice e tutti i lavori." Danni winked at Cam before she hopped into the car to get a ride back to her house.  
  
" What did she say?" Cam's mouth twitched. 'It's good to finally meet you in person, Ashes.'  
  
" Nothing important."  
  
~~~~~  
  
^' You there?'^  
  
~' Here.'~  
  
^' Nice to meet you.'^  
  
~' You're a friend of my brother's. I might have to stop talking to you.'~  
  
^' Now that would be stupid. So does your brother know yet?'^  
  
~' Nope. Dustin won't know until I tell him.'~  
  
^' Are you gonna tell him?'^  
  
~' What do you think?'~  
  
^' I hate it when you answer my questions with a question.'^  
  
~' But I'm so good at it.'~  
  
^' I know. That's what makes it so annoying. So where did you get the screen name "Ashes"?'^  
  
~' My middle name is Ashley.'~  
  
^' Ah.'^  
  
~' I have to go. I'll talk to you later.'~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
BloodIce- Hope you realized who she was talking too. Thanks for the review on 'Arranged' as well.  
  
Mathais-8888- You're welcome. Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad you think that way. And I'm very happy that you don't find these annoying. Seven pages shouldn't be annoying.  
  
rain- Glad I kept you interested. Hope you liked this one as much. Lothor's plan will be revealed later in the story.  
  
The One And Only Trey- I know it's so annoying when you find fics that you can't even understand because they butcher the English language so much. And most people don't even have the excuse of having English as their second language!  
  
Doyles-always- Fanfiction.net has been screwing up the past week or so, I've had this chapter written for like two weeks (at least!) and I couldn't get the darn thing posted! It was so frustrating.  
  
Super ZEO Silver- Well, I'm glad you liked it and I hope you like the rest of the chapters... if I don't have the same problem with posting *grumbles* Sorry, I just get a bit touchy when things don't work how they're supposed to. Thanks for the review!  
  
Alright the phrases Cam and Danni throw at each other are Italian.  
  
Il sole brillerà su lei e la sua famiglia = The sun shall shine on you and your family  
  
and  
  
Potere la luna lo benedice e tutti i lavori = May the moon bless you and all your works  
  
I was trying to think of something that they could have said in code that they both would understand. So I went to FreeTranslation.com and decided to use Italian, which I think worked pretty well. Please leave a review and tell me what you think.  
  
Thanks for reading. 


	6. Parties

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Six: Parties  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Next day, literally, Danni's starting to feel the aftereffects of that drug she was given. Dustin apparently knows what it is. She and Cam go on an impromptu date.  
  
A/N: Here is the next chapter ready and waiting to be read by all my loyal reviewers (hint, hint)! It's just such an amazing chapter for such an amazing story! *author holds her breath and then lets it out* Okay now that that is over. Honestly, I'm glad everyone seems to like my story so much, it really means a lot to me.  
  
I started this story just for the heck of it and got six reviews on the first chapter (personal best for me)! Well, enough of me babbling, on with the story. Enjoy chapter six.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Danni open the door!" Dustin reverted to pounding on the wood blocking his way. " Don't make me break another window!" The friends standing behind him looked at each other in amusement. The door opened to see a very flushed Danni in workout clothes.  
  
" Sheesh. The key's right here doofus." Danni pulled the key out from behind the light fixture.  
  
" Well why didn't you tell me you moved it?"  
  
" Thought you were smart enough to find it." Winces of appreciation at the jab sounded behind Dustin's back. He turned to glare and then turned back to his sister taking in her sweaty, agitated appearance for the first time.  
  
" You okay?" Danni was bouncing on the balls of her feet, her hands brushing up and down.  
  
" Fine. Just a little jumpy." She turned and tried to walk normally back into the living room where a Tae-Bo video was playing.  
  
" A little? Danni what's up." Danni started twitching as she spoke.  
  
" No-noth-nothing. Wha- why?"  
  
" You seem a little off." Danni winced and closed her eyes, eyeballs darting back and forth under the skin.  
  
" I'm fine. What do you want?" The sentence was rushed and forced. It was taking all of Danni's control not to start jumping off the walls.  
  
" Just wanted to check on you. Tell you I was going to be out late tonight."  
  
" Okay, bye." Danni kept her eyes closed the entire time not wanting to see the haze right then.  
  
" Are you sure you're okay?" Danni blocked her brothers' arm from moving any closer to her.  
  
" I'm fine."  
  
" Then open your eyes." Dustin challenged. Danni forced them open and looked angrily at her brother.  
  
" That better?" She spat the words like venom. Dustin backed up a step.  
  
" What happened?" He whispered. Danni shook her head in frustration, and to try to clear it, before she stomped towards the door.  
  
" I'm going for a walk. I'll see you when you get home." She slammed the door behind her, forcing Dustin to open it again to be able to yell at her.  
  
" Shit!" He swore when he turned back around.  
  
" What just happened?"  
  
" She's back on that crap." Dustin muttered, slamming his head back into the door.  
  
" What crap?" He blinked a few times and looked dazedly at his friends.  
  
" Oh, right, sorry. Let's just go." The gang had decided to go out to a club that Tori had heard about but Dustin had wanted to check up on Danni first.  
  
" Are you sure? We don't have to go." Tori said, looking at one of her oldest friends in concern.  
  
" Yeah. There's not much anyone can do for her at the moment. She'll be better tomorrow." He muttered something else that sounded vaguely like 'if she makes it home.'  
  
~~~~~  
  
" So this is fun, right?" Tori asked, coming back over to the table after dragging each guy out on to the floor.  
  
" If you say so." Three beautiful girls standing at the door caught Hunter's attention then. He automatically straightened up in his seat. Seeing where his attention was, Tori let out a snort.  
  
" Don't mean to rain on your parade but." Tori pointed out the three guys who came in after them and led them to a table on the other side of the floor. He slumped back down and took another swig of his drink. " Cheer up."  
  
" Why should I?" Tori just rolled her eyes. Cam was paying more attention to his hand-held link to the mainframe, and the Internet, than the conversation and music around him.  
  
" Cam. We're here to have fun." Tori's words didn't even reach Cam's ears.  
  
^' You got the address?'^  
  
~' Are you sure you want me to come like this?'~  
  
^' Anything's better than sitting here listening to Tori convince Hunter to "cheer up" as she put it.'^  
  
~' If you say so. I'll be there in ten minutes.'~  
  
^' Don't forget to shower and change.'^ Cam joked.  
  
~' Ha ha very funny.'~  
  
^' See ya in ten.'^  
  
~' See ya.'~  
  
Cam came back to reality to see Tori's hand waving in his face. " Hello! Have you heard anything we've said?"  
  
" Nope. I've got a date coming in a few minutes so adios." Cam waved goodbye and walked to the door.  
  
" Hey wait a minute!" Tori called, grabbing the back of his green (A/N: of course) shirt and dragging him back to the table.  
  
" A date?" Shane asked, just as interested as anyone else.  
  
" Yes and I'm meeting her outside now lemme go." Going to stand, Cam was pushed and pulled back into the seat by five separate hands.  
  
" Who is it?"  
  
" Anyone we know?"  
  
" What's she look like?"  
  
" Is she smart?"  
  
" Is she nice?"  
  
" Is she pretty?"  
  
" What is this twenty questions?" Cam asked sarcastically as the questions were shot at him rapid fire.  
  
" We haven't gotten to *ten* yet."  
  
" So? It's none of your business who I see."  
  
" Yes it is." The group spoke in accord.  
  
" No it's not. Not to mention she doesn't want me to tell you about her yet."  
  
" Why not?"  
  
" Is she mean?"  
  
" Is she a freak?"  
  
" Does she work for Lothor?" Everyone looked at Hunter who had supplied the last question.  
  
" What? It's a perfectly reasonable question." Cam sneered at all of them.  
  
" No she's not mean or a freak nor does she work for Lothor. It's none of your business and leave me alone." Cam finally got to his feet and walked out the door without anyone catching him.  
  
" What's with him?"  
  
" I don't think he appreciated us bugging him like that." Shane said, leaning back in his chair, trying to find a pretty girl to talk to. Hunter followed his example and both quickly found prey.  
  
" See ya." They spoke together, eyes riveted and left.  
  
" So what about you Dustin?"  
  
" Huh?" Dustin snapped awake and looked at Tori.  
  
" See anyone you like?" It was not-so-subtle hint for him to beat it.  
  
" Oh. Yeah, see ya later."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Hey Ashes."  
  
" Camera." Danni nodded to Cam. Cam tried to control his reaction to the outfit Danni was wearing.  
  
" What's with the clothes?" A mischievous grin came slowly over her face.  
  
" If you want to a bunch of my friends and I were going to go to this party over in the next town. It's supposed to be a blast. But we don't have to go if you don't want too."  
  
" Sounds good." Danni grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of a van that looked like it had been around in the sixties because of the way the sides were painted. " Nice ride."  
  
The driver turned around, " Thanks man. I painted it myself. Name's Jimmy."  
  
" Cam."  
  
" I'm Sarah, that's Amy, Ryan, Frankie, Katie and the two in the back are Matt and Erica."  
  
" Good to meet you."  
  
" I take it you're the infamous 'Camera' Danielle keeps talking about."  
  
Cam's eyebrow quirked at the use of her full name, a smile lit on his lips, but he answered, " What'd she say about me?"  
  
" Only that you were totally sweet, nice, mysterious and way smart." Jimmy had started the car by now and was laughing at the description.  
  
" Every girl gives that description of a guy they like. You're a lucky dude Cam, you know that right?" Cam just nodded, and put a little pressure on Danni's hand, which was wrapped in his.  
  
" Looks like things just got a little more fun." Danni whispered in his ear.  
  
" Just a little?" She smiled back and leaned against the cold pane of glass that was the vans' window.  
  
" So what are you really like Cam? I mean, you can't possibly be as perfect as our little angel here says." Amy asked, leaning over the seat, putting her head very nearly on his shoulder.  
  
" And you know this how?" Cam was really getting into the happy, friendly mood that was being shared by everyone in the van.  
  
" Just a hunch that a guy a girl describes, when she likes him, is never as perfect as he sounds. So it's our jobs, as friends and mostly impartial judges, to make sure you aren't some psycho who's gonna hurt our little angel." Ryan reached over and made to mess up Danni's hair but she stopped him before he could.  
  
" Ryan it took me an hour to get my hair like this, leave it alone."  
  
" Okay, okay." Ryan was laughing. Danni was the youngest of the group of friends, which gave her eight more family members.  
  
" What's with the nickname?" Everyone gave Cam a blank look so he elaborated. " Angel? You all call her that. Why?"  
  
" No reason really. She just acts like an angel."  
  
Frankie added, " Now whether it's an angel from heaven or hell depends on her mood." Danni batted at his head, which he ducked out of reach and laughter filled the van.  
  
" We're here!" Jimmy called, parking the van next to a very large mansion just outside the next town's city limits.  
  
" Hey, lovebirds break it up." Amy reached back to where Matt and Erica were kissing and prodded them both with a measuring stick.  
  
" Come on Cam. Let's go." Danni dragged Cam willingly out of the van and moved to the house's front door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Doyles-always- I know it was a bit of a shock wasn't it? There will be more about the whole thing (not the actual drug but how she started, what it's supposed to do, etc.) Hope you continue to enjoy reading this as much as I like writing it. I love getting your reviews! 


	7. Night Visits

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Seven: Night Visits  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary:  
  
A/N:  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Erica is so gonna puke!" Sarah laughed loudly, she herself drunk.  
  
" Come on everybody, into the van." Jimmy was herding everyone into the van, Danni and Cam trailing behind watching the antics of her friends.  
  
" Thanks for coming." Danni whispered so silently that Cam barely heard it above the noise from her friends drunk laughter in front of them and the loud, pounding rock music from the party behind them.  
  
" You're welcome."  
  
" I don't usually come to these things. Normally only when I'm trying to come off a high faster."  
  
" It's okay. It was... well certainly interesting." He laughed, staring at the group of people stumbling around.  
  
" Don't worry about them. They'll fall asleep before five seconds on the drive home. They'll crash in the van at Jimmy's place and then go home sometime around noon tomorrow."  
  
" You seem to know the schedule."  
  
" No, I've never been one of them. I don't drink." The two slid into the back seat, Cam against the window, pulling Danni into his arms.  
  
" That's good."  
  
" Very good. Dustin would kill me if I got drunk." Cam laughed and closed his eyes as the van pulled out into the dark, driving everyone home.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Dudes, I'm going home." Dustin said, coming back to the table where everyone was sitting.  
  
" You can't leave yet." Shane said.  
  
" Why not?" Dustin asked, looking closer at his friend. Shane and Hunter had been turned down numerous times by 'babes' and were very angry that Tori wasn't letting them leave.  
  
" Because we can't leave yet."  
  
" You guys can go." She muttered darkly before standing to leave herself. A guy automatically and 'accidentally' ran into her.  
  
" Oh sorry." He flashed his pearly whites at Tori who smiled and batted her eyelashes. Blake's eyes filled with fire as he stepped forward.  
  
" Watch where you're going jerk."  
  
" Sorry dude. Didn't realize she was spoken for." The guy backed off quickly as Blake turned to help a rather annoyed Tori off the ground.  
  
" You don't have to act like a complete jerk all the time. I can take care of myself."  
  
" Another fight?" Shane practically whined.  
  
" Just ignore them." Hunter suggested, watching one of the girls dancing.  
  
" They're louder than the music." Dustin complained half-heartedly.  
  
" Once they get through this stage-"  
  
" If they get through." Shane muttered.  
  
" Once they get through, we won't have to listen to this again."  
  
" I wish!" The three exclaimed at once as louder bickering came from behind them, drawing unwanted attention.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Thanks for coming Cam." Cam was walking Danni home from Jimmy's house, two or three blocks away.  
  
" My pleasure." He paused as they reached Danni's front door. " Much better than Tori's night out." Danni laughed and closed her eyes, which were still coming off the medicine.  
  
" I'm glad you had fun."  
  
" It was... well, definitely fun. I liked meeting your friends."  
  
" Yeah. They're good people." Danni smiled and then her eyes refocused on Cam. " You wanna come in for some coffee or hot chocolate or something?"  
  
" What about Dustin?" Cam asked slowly, trying to think of a better reason to say no, even though he didn't want to.  
  
" He won't be home until later anyway and when he comes home, especially after earlier, he'll just walk up to his room and go to sleep." Cam's mind was already made up before she had finished speaking.  
  
" Sure."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Doyles-always- Yeah Dustin is a nice brother, if a bit over-protective. Sorry I didn't go into more detail about the party but you can kinda guess what kind of party it was.  
  
The One and Only Trey- I'm glad you're loving it. I need at least one person like you for every one of my stories and I'm set. :)  
  
MidnightLoner- I don't know what kind of drug it is, one that's not real that's for sure. See the reason for her headaches will be explained later and the drug will be tied into that. What's to say he doesn't already know?... No, seriously he doesn't but yeah he probably would kill her.  
  
Devidramon- The drug is the only reason she's lived this long, can't say anymore. The troop building will come soon (not sure exactly when but soon) and it might be past monsters but I'm (once more) not sure. Hope you can see Ch 2 now. It works on my computer so I don't know what's wrong.  
  
Becky102285- Look at the first two lines of my response to MidnightLoner.  
  
As always, thanks so much for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. I'm also very glad (as always) that I haven't had any negative ones for this story. I'm trying to make sure my ego doesn't get too inflated so that way if one comes it's not such a blow to my systems. :) Hope you enjoyed and continue to read Family Ties! 


	8. Fights and Taunts

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Eight: Fights and Taunts  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Dustin sees Cam in his kitchen. Cam finds out about Danni's condition and more about the 'drug'. Lothor yells at his nieces. Everyone at Ninja Ops finds out who 'Ashes' is and Cam admits that they need Danni's expertise.  
  
A/N: Sorry about the whole no A/N last time, it was an accident, I swear! Anyway, here's the next chapter. And like I've said, it's not a drug you'd find in real life since I'm not a drug addict and as far as I know, no drug could save a person from a brain tumor or whatever it is that Danni has. So, enjoy and I hope my loyal reviewers come back (hint, hint guys and gals!)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Morning Danni." Dustin yawned, shuffling into the kitchen, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.  
  
" Sleep well?" She asked, flipping through the newspaper.  
  
" Yeah actually-" The coffee cup in Dustin's hands slipped and splintered on the floor with a crash. He had seen Cam sitting at the table, his hair messed up and glasses resting on the table.  
  
" Before you get any ideas he slept on the couch." Danni never looked up from the paper.  
  
" But- but- why- I-"  
  
" Don't strain yourself thinking. Especially this early in the morning. Sit, drink caffeine and wake up first. Then get a headache." Dustin meekly and quietly obeyed his sister's calm and bored words as she turned the page in the news. The only sounds were from the rustling paper, Dustin drinking his caffeine fix and Cam eating breakfast.  
  
Danni read the paper, front to back, as Dustin and Cam ate breakfast and cleaned up after themselves. Once they were done and the silence was stretching she set the words down and looked at the two boys.  
  
" Before you say anything let me explain." Dustin nodded his head, still partly asleep. " Cam went with you and the rest of your little group last night. Then he went with me and my friends to this place. It was really late when we got back and he didn't have his car. I offered our sofa for the cause. End of story. Nothing happened."  
  
" I'm going to choose to believe that because anything else would require me kicking your butt." Dustin said, having woken up in the half a minute it had taken Danni to say her paragraph.  
  
" Just try it." Cam challenged, just a little bit cranky about being awake at the moment.  
  
" Either of you try anything and I'll be forced to duck tape you to the chairs and shave your legs, got it?" Danni spoke up from her seat at the kitchen table.  
  
" You wouldn't... would she?" The last comment was directed at Dustin who nodded quietly in agreement.  
  
" Try me Cam. I am so not in the mood for any arguments this morning. Now if you'll excuse me." As if on cue, her hand flew up to her mouth as her cheeks bulged and she bolted from her chair to the bathroom. Dustin and Cam fidgeted nervously.  
  
" Honestly though Dustin. Nothing happened. It was late and I was too tired to use my powers to get back to Ninja Ops." Cam had started speaking to cover the faint but distinct sound of Danni losing the contents of her already empty stomach.  
  
" I believe you. Just a shock to see you sitting at my kitchen table looking like you just woke up. And you and my sister sitting together. You have to look at it from my perspective. Little sister, older guy, kitchen table, messed up hair, spent the night, you tend to get a little suspicious."  
  
" I don't blame you, I would be too if I had a little sister. But you can look on the couch if you want. The pillows and blankets are folded up on the end."  
  
" I trust you." The two stood in silence, contemplating their individual thoughts, both seemingly finding the floor and their shoes fascinating.  
  
" Why is she so sick?" Cam finally asked the question he had been wondering since meeting her.  
  
" She hasn't told you yet?" Dustin asked wearily, almost as if everything was too much and he was slowly but surely giving in.  
  
" No. I haven't been able to work up the courage to ask her." Cam admitted shamefully.  
  
" Not many people can work up the courage. She has something closely resembling a brain tumor. It's rare so the doctor's aren't sure what it is exactly, all they know is that it is the cause of her headaches. The medicine they give her which is chemotherapy once a month and these pills are what cause her to throw up."  
  
" What causes her to act like she's on an adrenaline rush?"  
  
" Neither of us are really sure what it is. Danni was given the drug when she first started showing symptoms three years ago."  
  
" A week after the car crash, right?"  
  
" Yeah. How'd you know that?"  
  
" Ashes told me." Dustin did a double take and looked at Cam with surprise.  
  
" *You're* Camera?"  
  
" Yeah, so?"  
  
" Nothing, nothing. Anyway the drug seemed to work. Then we went to the doctor told him about the miracle drug and he couldn't detect anything. So he prescribed his own medicine to take when the 'miracle drug' wore off. It took two months before she had to start taking the pills."  
  
" What's this miracle drug called?"  
  
" Ghost. It acts like a ghost. It goes in, does what it's supposed to and then vanishes without a trace. The side effects are similar to an adrenaline rush. Increased heart rate, increased breathing, heightened senses, increased speed and strength. The side effects only last for a day or two before she throws up a time or two and then she's good for a couple of months. Recently the time has been dwindling, slowly, but she's also getting worse.  
  
" The doctor's have no excuse for it. With all the medicine she's taking, she should be better by now but she isn't. And to make things even worse, I think Danni's addicted to Ghost." Danni had been listening into the conversation from the other side of the doorway. The boys hadn't realized she had stopped retching.  
  
" That is bad. Wish there was something I could do to help." The boys were standing side by side, leaning against the counter with their arms folded over their chests, heads pointed resolutely towards their shoes. Danni rolled her eyes at the stances and simply walked as quietly as possible from the kitchen.  
  
'I'm not addicted... I just can't stop using it if I want to live.'  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Zurgane!" Lothor bellowed over his shoulder.  
  
" Yes, milord?" The monster came scurrying up, trying to maintain what little dignity it had left.  
  
" Get ready to summon the next batch of warriors. I'm tired of waiting!" Lothor sounded like a spoiled child who was being told to eat his broccoli.  
  
Zurgane ducked and bobbed more than a rapper during their own concert as he stumbled, " Yes- yes sir, Lothor sir!"  
  
With his cheek rested against one fist and his other fingers drumming against the arm of the throne Lothor sighed. " Why do I surround myself with such idiots?"  
  
" We're not idiots Uncle." Lothor's eyes closed involuntarily as his nieces' voice reached his ears.  
  
" Well, I'm definitely not an idiot Uncle but we never can be too sure with Marah." Kapri sneered at her sister behind their Uncle's back and throne.  
  
" Hey! If anyone's the idiot it's you."  
  
" Who can't figure out how to call a simple monster. Or make it grow?" Kapri taunted back. Suddenly Lothor's throne spun around, squealing and sending smoke billowing away from him.  
  
" WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP!" The girl's stared wide-eyed at their uncle and slowly nodded their heads up and down. " Thank you. Now if I can just get some peace and quiet around here. I can barely hear myself think in all this racket."  
  
From that point on, for a few hours at least, the ship was so quiet you could hear the proverbial pin drop a mile away.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Cam did you figure out the calculations for the energy blocker?"  
  
" Nope." He sighed and spun the chair around. " I need help on this and as far as I know, Danni's the only one smart enough to give it." Tori shook her head at his news.  
  
" Last resort alone."  
  
" If we wait to long it'll be too late. We need to put the block up now and make sure it works because if it doesn't, we're going to be swamped. Literally."  
  
" Cam has a point. If we wait to long we stand the chance of not being able to win." Hunter put in, finally moving from his position leaning against the door and coming closer to the rest of the group.  
  
" But so does Tori. How do we know Danni won't tell anyone?"  
  
" Because she wouldn't." Shane scoffed.  
  
" You meet her once and you're an expert on Dustin's sister?"  
  
" Yep. And what's to say I haven't met her before? Or after?" Cam questioned, deciding to go off topic for a minute.  
  
" Dude you're crazy." Dustin's head kinda twitched to the side in a look that said 'Yeah, but it's true'. Cam sighed and turned the swivel chair back to the computer.  
  
" Everyone. I'd like you to meet Ashes." A picture popped up and Danni was smiling at the group.  
  
" Hey." 'Everyone' was strangely silent.  
  
" She's going to help us save the planet." Cam paused then added, " Again." 


	9. Disappearing Acts

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Nine: Disappearing Acts  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: The idea of Power Rangers itself belongs to Sabaan Entertainment (I think) and I'm using the *idea* for the basis of this. Danni is my own character.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Well, Danni comes to Ninja Ops, works things out with the whole stopping monsters from appearing on Lothor's ship. That of course makes Lothor mad. Danni also has another run-in with the social worker who gets put in her place (or so we hope).  
  
A/N: Okay I'm apologizing now that this took so long to write. I think I wrote myself into a corner (partially) and then my muse decided to work on a million and one other things. I finally got this chapter up (yay!) so you can call off whatever evil space monsters you've told to attack me (Devidramon).  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Anything yet?" Cam asked, coming to stand behind Danni.  
  
" Not yet and if you keep asking me every five seconds I'm going to hurt you." She snapped out. Cam had asked her the same question at least ten times in the past five minutes.  
  
" She has a point Cam. Let her do her work." Hunter said from where he was tossing a ball into the air and catching it. Cam sat down next to Tori and worked on his own calculations from there.  
  
" Hey Dustin." Shane called quietly, coming to stand next to the yellow ranger. " Since when does Danni know Cam?"  
  
" Since a while now for all I know." A phone started ringing. Danni reached down to her belt, not taking her eyes off the screen.  
  
" Ah crude." She spat out, shoving the chair away from the table. " Dustin call Aunt Teresa. That bitch social worker's back."  
  
" Watch your mouth." He said, grabbing the phone from mid-air where Danni had thrown it. Danni rolled her eyes.  
  
" Cam, I'll be back later to finish this, okay?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
" What are you doing?" Danni asked, standing quietly behind the social worker for a minute before speaking. The lady jumped three feet into the air.  
  
" I rang the doorbell but no one answered." Danni looked down at her watch exaggeratingly.  
  
" Well no wonder, it's only two thirty. Go away and come back at a normal hour." Danni stood her ground and glared at the older woman.  
  
" It's Saturday." The social worker tried, huffing up to her full five foot four, still a good two inches shorter than Danni.  
  
" Yes and both my brother and aunt work."  
  
" Where were you?"  
  
" Library." To prove her point, Danni held up her book bag and pulled out a library book. " Why do you care?"  
  
" No reason, I made an appointment to come today at two fifteen and no one was here."  
  
" Really. Well we never got a message. We save all our messages from the state social workers department."  
  
" Whether or not you got the message is not my concern. I sent it-"  
  
" No you didn't, now get out of our bushes before I call the cops for trespassing and attempted breaking in entry." Danni smirked, pulling her cell phone out and moving to turn it on.  
  
" You wouldn't dare you little brat." Danni put the phone up to her ear.  
  
" Of course sir." She said happily. " It's for you." She smirked, handing the phone to the confused woman.  
  
" Hello?... yes, sir I am... no, I did leave a message... Um, yes?... No I didn't say that, heh heh heh... WHAT?!... I mean, yes sir... of course. Good bye." She swallowed and hung up the phone, handing it back to Danni.  
  
" Hopefully I won't see you around here again otherwise I'll call the cops, understood?" Danni watched the woman get in her car and leave. " Dustin? Tell Aunt Teresa not to bother. She doesn't need to come." Danni turned the phone off and rubbed at her head.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Danni? You need to take a break. You've been working non-stop." Cam tried to get Danni to quit. The other rangers had already left Ninja Ops to go get some dinner and were returning as Cam pleaded.  
  
" Danni, dinner." Dustin called, setting the plastic bags down.  
  
" Not hungry." She muttered back, totally entranced in what she was doing.  
  
" Danni, now." Dustin said more forcefully.  
  
" I'll eat... lat..." Danni just trailed off, not finishing the sentence, eyes flicking rapidly across the screen.  
  
" If you don't come eat right now I'll turn it off." Danni simply pushed control and s and continued working. " Danni." He said warningly, staring fixedly at the back of her head.  
  
" I'm almost done. I promise I'll eat something when I finish."  
  
It took Danni another two hours to finish writing the program and then another four hours to put it into being.  
  
" Eat." Dustin said wearily from his position half-asleep on the floor. Danni smiled and then grabbed at her head.  
  
" Go to sleep." She muttered, closing his eyes. Danni didn't even see that Sensei was still wide-awake and watching her.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Where did all my monsters go?" Lothor thundered as all his hired help had disappeared, some quite literally.  
  
" I don't know sir." Zurgane said, punching in codes into the computer, trying to figure out what went wrong.  
  
" Well fix it and get me my monsters!" Lothor screamed at the top of his lungs. Kapri and Marah cringed out in the hall.  
  
" Now is definitely not a good time."  
  
" No, it's not." Marah agreed, both girls creeping off to their rooms.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Dude, wake up." Dustin was shaking Cam's shoulder, trying to get him to wake up.  
  
" What's wrong?" Cam asked, pulling his glasses on.  
  
" She's gone. You were the last one up, where is she?"  
  
" No I wasn't. You were. I fell asleep before you." Cam argued, sitting up now.  
  
" Dustin? What's going on?" Dustin flipped the table over in his anger.  
  
" Dude relax." Hunter said, grabbing Dustin from behind.  
  
" She's knows not to do this!" He yelled. Dustin was having flashbacks to the last time Danni ran off without telling him.  
  
" Where is she? Where's my sister?!" Dustin was freaking out. He had gotten a call about midnight that Danni was in the hospital. " Danielle Brooks. Where is she?"  
  
" Sir, calm down. She's in room 220 on the next floor. Sir? Sir!" The attendant called after him, leaning over the counter to see him running down the hall. He slammed into the elevator, running between the doors as they started to open.  
  
" Danni? Danni!" He yelled when he found the room, bursting the door open, causing it to hit the wall. Danni was lying in between the stark white sheets, cuts and bruises marring her face.  
  
" I take it you're her brother? A mister Waldo Brooks?"  
  
" Dustin, yeah. What happened? Is she gonna be okay?"  
  
" She'll be fine. I just have a few questions-"  
  
" I'm sorry." Danni muttered out, eyes closed in pain, as she coughed up a tiny bit of blood.  
  
" Danni? It's okay."  
  
" Mr. Brooks, if I can speak to you for just a moment-"  
  
" Later." Dustin spat out angrily, not turning away from his sister.  
  
" Dustin!" Tori yelled, grabbing at his face and forcing him to look into her eyes. " Nothing is going to happen to Danni. You don't need to destroy Ninja Ops. We'll find her."  
  
" She may not want to be found." Sensei added after Dustin had calmed down.  
  
" What do you mean?" Dustin asked, turning as much as he could to look at Sensei. Hunter still hadn't let go.  
  
" She left last night after telling you to go to sleep and closing your eyes. Your sister truly is a genius. She had done additional research along with that to help us but I am afraid I can not access it."  
  
" I'll try, can't make any promises." Cam said, seating himself at Ninja Ops mainframe.  
  
" Just try."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Almost there. AHHH!" Danni cried, clutching at her throbbing head. 'I'm sorry Dustin.' Danni continued the hike up the trail, clutching at her head, the woods dancing around her eyes. 'Please be here.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Doyles-always- I thought they were interesting twists too. Here's another one.  
  
Devidramon- See! I updated (finally). Just had to get my muse back :)  
  
Thank you so much to everyone who's read this and reviewed. And to those of you who have read and haven't reviewed, please do so! Once more sorry it took so long to update but my muse kinda flew away. 


	10. No Screaming Zones

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Ten: No Screaming Zones  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: I don't know who this belongs to but it sure as heck ain't me. Have a nice day.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Lothor's monster army goes missing, Vexacus can't leave the ship. Danni's still missing but they know her approximate location and someone named Catherine make's an appearance. The first time and only time? Or will she play some big part later on in the story? (I really seriously have not a clue :D Goes to show how much thought I've put into this).  
  
A/N: On the bottom this time... yay I updated! (Finally)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" NOOOO!" Lothor's angry voice echoed loudly in every nook and cranny of the space ship.  
  
" Uncle?" Kapri asked annoyingly, scuttling into the room with Marah hanging onto her arm. " What's wrong?"  
  
" My monsters have disappeared. Zurgane! Oh, right, he's destroyed. Vexacus!"  
  
" Yes milord." The aquatic bounty hunter asked, stepping out of the shadows and into the room.  
  
" Find my monsters and bring them back."  
  
" Of course my lord." Vexacus said, bowing shortly to Lothor before trying to beam off the ship. He landed with a crash in the same place he had been standing moments before.  
  
" What in the world." Lothor muttered, looking at the floundering form of his new general.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" I think... yeah, she's in the mountains." Cam started shaking his head over the information the computer was giving him. " There's no way she could have gotten up there alone without some thing to fly in. There's no way we'll get there."  
  
" So how do we get to her?" Hunter asked, trying to be helpful and failing.  
  
" We don't. That's what you're saying. We leave her to God knows what and just sit back and wait."  
  
" I'm afraid we have no choice Dustin."  
  
" There's always a choice. I'll be in the gym."  
  
" I'll join you." Hunter chorused, wanting to get out of the main lobby of Ninja Ops.  
  
" Where there's a will there's a way. Right dad?" Cam asked, swiveling to look at his father.  
  
" Of course son, but get some rest." Cam just smiled and turned back to the computer screen.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" You are worthy, young one."  
  
" Thank you, milady. I'll serve you well."  
  
" I know you will. Your headaches are cured as they were a test of your faith and determination."  
  
" I understand."  
  
" Go forth, protect them."  
  
" Of course, milady." Danni murmured again, standing from where she had recently kneeled and grinning at the woman in front of her. " Thanks Catherine."  
  
" You deserve it Danni. Use the power wisely."  
  
Danni looked to the ground awkwardly. " You aren't gonna be here anymore are you?"  
  
" No my dear," Catherine said sadly, eyes going soft as she looked on Danni's bent head, " I'm afraid my time on this planet is almost spent. I'll be going home soon. But know that no matter where I am, I'll always have a place for you in my heart.  
  
" Thank you."  
  
" Now hurry, before that brother of yours does something very stupid." Catherine grinned as Danni scurried off across the compound.  
  
" Thank you! I'll do everything you said."  
  
" Be careful!" Catherine called back, smiling after her pupil. " You will do well. I have faith in you."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Dustin? Dustin are you- AHHHH!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Doyles-always- My most loyal reviewer, here's a cookie *hands Doyles a virtual cookie*, enjoy!  
  
ShaneWestLover- Glad you're interested, hope you stuck around for the rest.  
  
So any suggestions for what Danni sees? *grins wickedly* Sorry it took so long to get this up, just been a little short on inspiration. I'm so mean *chuckles evilly* But anyways, what do you want to happen?  
  
I'd like to let out just one nice big huge shout to all my loyal reviewers who have stuck with me for the very go-stop-go-speed up-screech to a halt- go-stop-go type of story this has been. Thanks guys, you're the best (and I mean it this time :P) 


	11. Night Out or In

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Eleven: Night Out or In  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: I don't know who this belongs to but it sure as heck ain't me. Have a nice day.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Alright, Danni's back from her little side trip. We also find out what it was that she saw. Everyone pairs up and leaves for the night, except Shane *sniff*, poor Shane. Try and see if you can guess what horror Danni witnessed when looking for her brother.  
  
A/N: On the bottom this time... yay I updated! (Finally)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Oh... I think my eyes just burned out." Danni said, staggering into the main room of Ninja Ops.  
  
" What happened?" Cam asked, rushing up to the tipsy girl. Danni peeked out from between her fingers.  
  
" You don't want to know. *I* don't want to know."  
  
" Danni it's not what it looked like." Dustin said, slamming to a halt by his sister. " Uh... can I talk to you a moment in private."  
  
" Whatever you say big brother so long as you answer all my questions."  
  
" Deal."  
  
" First," Cam said, sticking his arm to impede their progress. " You tell us what you were doing in the mountains and how you got in without us seeing you."  
  
" Long story. Can't answer the first, least not yet anyway. And I got in through a... back door of sorts."  
  
" Backdoor? What backdoor." Tori asked, from her position on the floor. " I said backdoor of sorts. It's not really... well, it's not really there." Danni shrugged. " I can't explain it any better. And don't worry I'm the only one in the whole wide dimensions that know where it is. Now, time for some answers Waldo Brooks." With that the family duo left the room in silence.  
  
" Did any else notice that she said 'dimensions' and not world?" Tori asked, an eyebrow quirked, arms stretching above her head.  
  
" Yeah, I noticed that too."  
  
" Slip of the tongue?" Blake suggested, watching Tori from the corner of his eye.  
  
" Not so. She meant to say dimensions and it makes since. Sort of."  
  
" Oh do tell." Shane said with mock-enthusiasm.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" So that's what's been going on lately. I thought you'd been-" Dustin clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
" I swear you finish that sentence and I'll make your headaches look like a prick of the finger." Danni rolled her eyes and nodded her head.  
  
" Please, like I'd tell anyone. Who'd believe me? Who'd care?" Danni followed Dustin's eyes out the door. " Oh them? So what. Anyway, no more headaches so that threat's pretty much outlasted its usefulness."  
  
" What do you mean, no more headaches?" Dustin asked, eyes narrowing as he focused on his little sister.  
  
" They weren't meant to last forever." A cell phone started beeping. Reaching into her pocket, Danni pulled the compact little communicator out and pushed the power button.  
  
" Hello?... Oh hey Frankie... Love to... You want Cam to come?... Give me ten minutes to ask him okay?... Alright see you later Frankie. Bye. Dustin, the guys are going to a party. Can I go?"  
  
" You're asking me? Wait, better yet you're friends know about Cam?" Dustin asked incredously. " Jeez, they haven't even spent five minutes in my company yet."  
  
" You know the night Cam stayed over? WE went a party the night before."  
  
" Wait, Cam stayed out your house? As in, slept in your house? Dude, how come he isn't dead?" Hunter asked, turning to Dustin (A/N: Can anyone guess what was going on now? I'm evil.).  
  
" Because Danni assured me that he slept on the couch and I know that she would have killed me if I had hurt so much as a hair on his head in front of her. And I've been too tired lately to do anything about it."  
  
" So can I?" Dustin turned back to Danni.  
  
" Sure, have at it. Just make sure you're home at a decent hour."  
  
" I'll be in before two, that's the best I can promise." Dustin frowned but nodded consent anyway. Danni made it to the door before giving into her evil impulse. " So if I do come home early, I'm not going to find you two shaking up am I?" Danni ducked the towel that was thrown at her. She stuck her head back in the door, stuck her tongue out and then went to find Cam.  
  
" That's a good question. Will she?" Hunter spoke, voice dripping his relaxed attitude.  
  
" Maybe, maybe not. First, we gotta get out of here and *away* from everyone here."  
  
" Agreed."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Cam?" Cyber-Cam swung the chair around. " Never mind." Turning, Danni found Cam right behind her.  
  
" You called?" A faint smile graced his lips.  
  
" Yeah, Frankie just called and asked if I wanted to go to a party. Everyone wants you to come again. Wanna go?"  
  
" Sure, just let me grab a jacket." Danni watched him walk out of the room, smiling stupidly at the fact that Cam wanted to spend more time with her.  
  
" You should have asked me, I'm way funner than that guy." Cyber-Cam complained from his seat in front of the console.  
  
" In somethings. But Cam's the guy I. fell in love with."  
  
" We're doubles."  
  
Danni snorted. " You may share the same body and face but you are far from identical."  
  
" Ready to go?" Cam asked, stepping back into the room from where he had been listening.  
  
" Sure." Danni stuck her hand out for Cam to take and the two walked out of Ninja Ops to go back to Danni's house to let her have a chance to change too. Cam's clothes changed as soon as he stepped out of the doorway from Ninja Ops.  
  
" It has its uses."  
  
" I'm sure it does."  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Tori?"  
  
" Yeah?" Tori asked, looking up from where she was resting, back on the floor, legs resting against the wall.  
  
" You wanna go see a movie or something?"  
  
" Sure." Tori answered, grabbing his outstretched hand to pull herself up.  
  
" Alright let's go. Bye Sensei."  
  
" Bye Sensei. So what movie are we seeing?"  
  
Sensei just stood where he was, watching the pairs all wander off. Shane had left a little while ago for the skate park, to get in some more practice before it got dark.  
  
" You can come out now. They're all gone." Sensei's voice echoed into the back of the building.  
  
" Thanks Sensei." Dustin said, voice quiet, belying his usual loud nature.  
  
" You are most welcome Dustin."  
  
" We'll see you tomorrow Sensei." Hunter said, hand wrapped around Dustin's and the two exited Ninja Ops quickly.  
  
The hamster took a deep breath. " To each his own as long as it harms none."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Doyles-always- Yeah, a dead body would be a little morbid, at least for this story. I'm glad you liked the way I did the cliffhanger. Like the first part of this? I thought it would be cute.  
  
Crazy4nc128- Thanks for the review, here's an update, as requested.  
  
I'm starting to think only two people are allowed to review this story per chapter. And for some reason it's always Doyles-Always and someone else... Oh well, guess that's just my fate. Two reviews are better than none, right? Thanks everyone for reading and have a nice evening. 


	12. Movies

Title: Family Ties  
  
Part Twelve: Movies  
  
Author: Kryptonite  
  
Disclaimer: If you don't know this line after twelve chapters... did you really read the last eleven?  
  
Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.  
  
Summary: Danni and Cam, Dustin and Hunter in one house. Both pairs watching movies. Who's gonna be more nervous, Danni or Dustin?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
" Danni?" Dustin called into the front door as he pulled the key out. He registered the scrambling sounds coming from the living room and shooed Hunter in front of him.  
  
" Uh... shoot." He smiled as he heard Danni rushing around. Dustin leaned against the doorframe as he watched his little sister pause the movie and Cam try to straighten out his suspiciously crumpled clothes.  
  
" You're home early." Dustin couldn't keep the laughter out of his voice. Hunter came to rest against the other side of the doorframe.  
  
"Yeah, well, we decided to get dropped off at Hollywood Video instead of going to the party and dealing with everyone getting drunk." Danni murmured, standing by the t.v.  
  
" Looks to me like someone's violating our little arrangement." Danni just rolled her eyes and relaxed, walking over to where Cam was sitting on the couch.  
  
" So is someone else, if I'm not mistaken." Dustin was suddenly uncomfortable, knowing that Cam could figure out what that little arrangement had been.  
  
" Well... we'll be upstairs since you've already taken over the t.v." Danni smiled as her brother left the room, Hunter in front of him.  
  
" Try not to make too much noise!" She called, laughing as she fell onto the couch next to Cam and turned the movie back on. " So where were we?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
" What do you mean they're all gone!" Lothor screamed into the echoing expanses of his ship.  
  
" They're all back on their home planets sir." Zurgane did his best not to look straight at Lothor.  
  
" How did they get there!"  
  
" There was an energy surge sir. They... there's more, sir."  
  
" What now?" Lothor thundered, going to sit in his throne.  
  
" The monster's sir, they, they said it wasn't in their contract. What happened that is." Zurgane waited for Lothor to scream or hit him and when it didn't happen he looked up at his master.  
  
" What exactly *did* happen?" Lothor's face was calm but Zurgane knew that no answer he could give at this point would appease him.  
  
~~~~~  
  
" Dustin would you calm down. Come on, the movie's been paused for the last five minutes because you're worried about what your sister is doing. Have a seat." Normally the idea of Hunter telling him to come sit on the bed with him would have had him jumping in a heartbeat.  
  
" She's my little sister."  
  
" So? I trust Blake not to do anything stupid when he's with Tori." Hunter thought about what he just said. " I mean, stupider than he's already done, that is."  
  
" It's different when it's a girl. You don't have the urge to beat on everyone of your brother's girlfriends if they hurt him." Hunter conceded the point before standing up and grabbing Dustin's shoulders. Pushing him against the door Hunter looked into his eyes before gently pressing his lips to Dustin's.  
  
" If we don't finish this movie and you don't relax I am going to go home. Alone."  
  
" Fine, fine. You want a soda though?" Hunter rolled his eyes before letting the younger boy go. He sprawled face first on the bed as Dustin slipped out the door.  
  
" Cam, sit still would you." Dustin heard Danni giggle slightly as he paused on the last step, listening to the two.  
  
" I would if you'd just stop-" Cam's statement was cut off abruptly.  
  
" Dustin you don't have to spy on us." Danni's voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
" Sorry." Dustin called back, going the other way around the banister and into the kitchen.  
  
" S'okay. Cam don't make me stop this movie." Dustin shook his head at his sister's mock threatening voice.  
  
" If you guys need anything Hunter and I'll be in my room."  
  
" We know." Danni and Cam chorused before they quieted down, presumably to watch the movie. Shaking his head, Dustin walked up the steps to his room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Doyles-always- I'm glad it was sweet.  
  
Crazy4nc128- You died reading my story?! I don't know if I should be flattered or concerned... LOL  
  
Wing Gundam Zero- here's more... better late than never right?  
  
CamFan- Hey back at ya.  
  
AREH#1- Nope, obviously it doesn't bother her...  
  
I didn't get any inspiration for this story for... how many months? *does the math* THREE MONTHS?!?!?! Well... *kicks her muse in the butt* He's been jumping to other things lately. This is really just a filler chapter to keep from people forgetting I exist. Sorry! *gets on her knees, begging the readers for forgiveness*  
  
And technically it was my muse's fault, not mine. Tell me what you think and have a good life. 


	13. Too Nice or Not Nice Enough?

Title: Family Ties

Part Thirteen: Too Nice or Not Nice Enough?

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: If you don't know this line after twelve chapters… did you really read the last eleven?

Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.

Summary: One chapter dedicated entirely to Lothor, Zurgane, Marah, Kapri and the ship… don't ask me where everyone else is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Marah?" Zurgane questioned groggily.

" And Kapri." The other sister whispered.

" Come on, upsey daisy." Marah whispered, tugging on Zurgane's arm to get him to stand up. " If uncle finds you still lying on the floor there will be hell to pay."

The two girls helped Zurgane walk his bruised and abused body out of the control room. Once they were gone Lothor stepped from the shadows, contemplating this new development, not only from the Rangers but also on his own ship.

He never would have thought that Marah or Kapri so much as liked Zurgane, much less would go out of their way to help him avoid his wrath.

" Now," Lothor murmured before turning to the console in front of his throne. " To figure out what exactly happened to my monsters."

Zurgane had told him everything he knew. There was an energy signature disrupting the monsters from beaming in or out and that had transported the monsters back to their original locations. That the energy beam was keeping everyone on the ship. That was about the time that Lothor started taking out his frustration.

" Let's just see where this so called energy signature came from, shall we?"

Lothor's fingers flew over the keyboard, using his limited knowledge of the technology to try and locate where the signature started. He figured it was probably still cloaking the ship and was why no one could leave or arrive.

He finished his search for the elusive signature but was unable to lock on to it.

~~~~~

" Just try and rest, Zurgane. You'll feel a little better after some sleep." Marah whispered before she let the door slide shut.

" I always knew you were too nice." Kapri commented from where she was leaning against the wall near the door contemptuously, looking at her outrageously pink nails.

" I'm not having this argument again tonight." As Marah went to pass her Kapri reached out and grabbed her arm, not tight, just enough to stop her progress.

" Did you see him Marah?" Marah nodded her head and put her arm around her sister, walking her towards their rooms. " For the first time… I… I was scared. Of uncle. I've never been scared of him."

Marah bypassed Kapri's room and went straight to her own. " You can stay in here if you want. The bed's big enough to share. Just like we used to when something scared us." Kapri just nodded, moving to get ready for bed.

~~~~~

" DAAAAHHHH!" Lothor's scream echoed throughout the enclosed control room, as he had closed and locked the doors so he wouldn't be disturbed. " I can't find that damned signal anywhere!"

Lothor got up from the seat and started walking around the control room, randomly kicking at the ground. His foot every once in a while connecting with something and sending it spinning across the floor.

" What am I missing? I knew my nephew was a brilliant kid but this, this is almost beyond him. Something isn't right here…" Lothor continued to mumble trying to think of ideas as to what the technology was and how to undo it.

Throwing his arms up, Lothor brought them crashing down onto the console breaking it into three pieces as blue and gold sparks flared up from the exposed wires. The lights in the command room flickered three, four, five times before going out completely, living Lothor in the dark. He managed to work his way over to the doors to find them still locked tight.

There was enough light coming through the opaque glass to let him know that only the control room was affected.

" Hope life support doesn't die." He mumbled settling down for a long, grumpy night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doyles-always- Yeah it is turning but I just like the idea of Hunter/Dustin either that or Hunter/Cam but, that's aside the point. And it is possible so, just to be on the safe side…

SurfGurl1- I'll try and work that in.

bunny angel- Cam's too close to the situation. And I know from experience that if you have a problem you can't solve and you've been working on it for a while, stop. Bring someone else in for help, you'll realize that whatever come up with as a solution is so amazingly simple and it was right in front of your nose.

CamFan- You're welcome

AREH#1- I'll get to her, just… not yet. I gotta deal with one problem at a time.

I just had to torture Lothor. So, I wonder how long that little temper tantrum will keep him out of business? I got inspiration for this the other night (2-25-04) and just finished it today. I read through a couple of my older chapters and here's what I figured. Lothor's was such a big part of the reason why Danny was even involved with the Rangers and I was only giving him like three paragraphs?

Not to mention I really, really, really wanted to torture these guys LOL. And is it just me, or does Marah always end up having a nice bone in her body whenever* I portray her? And I liked the idea that she kinda takes care of Kapri, for all of her sister's bad mouthing.

Enjoy and review please *insert big smile* Have a nice life…


	14. Nightmares

Title: Family Ties

Part Fourteen: Nightmares

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, and nope. I don't own anything but Danni.

Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.

Summary: And we're back on Earth. Back in the Brook's household.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dustin woke the next morning to see the door to his sister's room ajar, and to hear sounds of her having troubles. Knocking lightly on the door, he inched it open, ready to pull his head back if something he shouldn't see was happening.

Once he realized she was just sleeping he took a step into the room. It took him a moment to realize she was having a nightmare.

" Danni?" He asked quietly, coming to stand next to the bed, reaching a hand for her shoulder.

" No- stop- don't… please." Each word was whispered with so much pain and anguish that Dustin thought his heart would break again.

" Danni? Danni wake up." Hunter took a step in the door at the rising panic in Dustin's voice.

" Dustin?" He questioned, watching as Dustin tried to shake his sister awake.

" Get Cam." It took Hunter all of five minutes to get down the stairs and wake the green ranger up. Both boys ran back up the stairs as fast as they could and rocketed into Danni's room, to see Dustin still shaking her. Danni was mumbling something obviously trapped in a nightmare.

" Dustin." Cam uttered, stepping closer to the bed and causing Dustin to turn frightened eyes on Cam.

" Last time this happened she was out for a week. I- I thought she- she was gonna die. I- I can't-" Hunter didn't let him finish, but simply walked him out of the room and closed the door, letting Cam try to think of something.

" Danni? Danni sweetie we all need you to wake up. We need to know what's going on." Cam looked around the room before finding what he wanted. Dragging the object over he sat down. " And I'm not leaving this chair until you do."

~~~~~

" Dustin she woke up. It was just a memory." Dustin didn't register the word 'memory', his mind automatically hearing 'nightmare' but Hunter caught it.

" Memory?" He asked quietly as Dustin disappeared into his sister's room.

" We have a new addition to the Ranger family."

" Another one? Don't we have enough as it is?" Hunter half-moaned, not really caring as long as his boyfriend's sister was okay.

" Apparently not. The person who gave her the morpher failed to mention that along with the ranger powers came memories. Rather painful ones I might add." Hunter winced.

" How bad?" Cam just looked at the blonde boy.

" Bad."

" Well she's back to normal." Dustin said, scooting rather quickly out of Danni's room, the door shutting right behind him. " She'll be out in a minute."

Hunter noticed Cam shake his head no as Dustin broke between the two to go down the stairs.

" Anyone else hungry?" Hunter moved to follow him.

" I think I'll wait for Danni." As the other two boys descended down the stairs, Cam went to the door and knocked gently. Danni opened the door in a huff, expecting to find her brother.

" Come in." She answered, calmly down considerably when she realized it was just Cam.

" Want to tell me more about it?" He asked as she walked into her closet and came back out with a deep purple button up shirt over the white tank top she had thrown on.

" Just a nightmare. That's all." Cam continued to watch her pace around the room, trying to find something to do and failing miserably. Finally she made a small noise of frustration and plunked herself heavily on the bed.

" Now do you want to tell me?" She just glared at him.

" I was about ten when our parents died. I was in the car with them." Cam straightened at this. " I should have died but… all I remember is this purple light moments after the car flipped. Everything hurt… so much-" Danni choked on her words as the memories of that night came rushing back.

~~~~~

" So what happened last time?" Hunter asked as Dustin went about making breakfast.

" It was just after the accident. She… she woke up for about a month, completely fine, no permanent damage outside of the headaches. Then one morning I went to wake her up for school and she was muttering stuff and tossing and turning. Aunt Teresa was living with us then." Dustin smiled at Hunter. " I completely freaked out. Once we realized we couldn't wake her, we got in the car, drove to the hospital and had her admitted. She was out for a week."

" That had to have been tough." Dustin nodded, all pretense of making anything forgotten as he stared down at his hands.

" The doctor's thought it was because of some sort of damage to done to her brain that hadn't been picked up on. They watched her for a week and then one morning we came in like we always did and she was just sitting up in the bed, eating hospital food like nothing was wrong. Danni's first words were 'Why am I back in this room again?'."

" Again?" Hunter asked, stepping over to the other boy.

" I hadn't realized before but… it was the same room she'd been placed in after the accident."

" And just now?"

" I was afraid it was going to happen again." Dustin looked up at Hunter, tears shining in his eyes. Hunter wrapped his arms around Dustin, trying to comfort him. " I was so afraid that with the headaches gone something worse would happen."

" Everything's going to be fine. Danni woke up Dustin, it was just a nightmare." Hunter had been wrestling with whether or not he should tell Dustin the truth but this one moment wiped away all thoughts of doing or saying anything that wouldn't get the younger boy to stop crying.

" But what about next time?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doyles-always- It's entirely possible, despite how good it maybe but thanks for the ego boost ;)

CamFan- Not quite as soon as I would have liked but it's an update, right?

RubyEye- Well I'm glad you like my story… which ranger's your favorite? Dustin? Or Cam? They both feature prominently…

Back on Earth and if I mentioned anything about how their parents died before this well… it's been a while since I've read through the entire story. If that's the case I'll just have to re-write this chapter (so I hope that's not the case). And talk about a little twist as to how Danni got the headaches.

And doesn't everyone just love how I cut off her explanation halfway through? LOL I'm evil. Have a good life everyone, don't forget to review on your way out.


	15. Waking Up

Title: Family Ties

Part Fifteen: Waking Up

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni. Enough said about that topic.

Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.

Summary: We're bouncing all over the place in this one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Tori?" Blake's groggy voice asked as he blinked his eyes a couple of times.

" Yeah?" She answered, trying to pull the pillow over her head.

" I wonder if Hunter's back yet."

~~~~~

" Danni, I want you to get outside at some point today, okay? And take Cam with you, he spends entirely too much time inside." Dustin told his sister before he and Hunter left for work at Storm Chargers.

" Yes mom." Danni smiled before placing a quick kiss on her brother's cheek. " Now get going before Kelly's patience finally wears out and she fires both of you."

Dustin snorted, letting Danni usher him and Hunter out the front door. " Like that would ever happen."

" It very well might one day. Don't push your luck. Bye Hunter, keep my brother out of trouble."

" Easier said than done." He muttered, winking at Danni as he pulled the door closed behind him. Danni stood listening to her brother trying to get an explanation out of Hunter. Turning around she found Cam right behind her.

" Not very observant this morning are we Ms. Brooks?"

" Depends on what you want me to observe Mr. Watanabe." She grinned up at Cam, slipping her arms around his waist and pulling him closer.

" What are you up for this morning?" The two just started laughing, resting their foreheads on the others as they leaned against the solid, wood door.

~~~~~

" Kapri?" Marah called when she finally got around to waking up.

" Uncle's locked himself in the command room." Her sister called from the door. Marah pushed herself up on her elbows and squinted at Kapri. Seeing Kapri's confusing about what to do Marah sighed.

" Let's go let him out."

~~~~~

" Time to get up." Shane muttered, knowing almost instinctively where each and everyone of his friends were. It seemed to be his job as leader to not only protect and lead when they had to fight bad guys, but to protect and know where everyone was on normal, down time.

" Great to be me." Shane stood up, stretching backward until he heard his back crack. Sighing and rubbing his head, the boy went to get a shower and breakfast.

~~~~~

Sensei was the only one at Ninja Ops that morning. The only one monitoring the computer and the only one to hear the spirits whispering in the wind.

" Yes friends, I can feel it too." He whispered back, his mind reaching out and touching what the spirits could feel.

Sensei knew that whatever it was that was making him so afraid was tied not only into Lothor and his schemes, but into Danni as well. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doyles-always- I feel sorry for Dustin too. I'm being just a bit mean to him and Danni. But that's what makes good characters right? Putting them to the test and then making them persevere… somehow.

CamFan- Hope this one's awesome too.

Alright, now I'm just being mean. I thought it was just a nice little cliff-hanger. I put in that bit with Tori/Blake because I've been focusing mostly on Dustin/Hunter and Danni/Cam… though I thought that's what I said I was gonna do when I started this… oh well.

I'm really portraying Marah as the strong one in this story… I don't like Kapri. I mean, as much as she takes control when it's fighting the rangers I can honestly see her as this lost little alien child when it comes to family matters… ha, Family Matters.


	16. Random Days

Title: Family Ties

Part Sixteen: Random Days

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni. Enough said about that topic.

Spoilers: Kinda hard not to have them since they aren't all my original characters.

Summary: Again with the bouncing. On an interesting side-note, Cam's name means 'bent nose'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Do you think this follows my brother's orders?" Danni asked Cam later that day after they had eaten some breakfast. They were currently sitting on the porch swing in the shade, ignoring the glaring sun and rising heat.

" It should." Cam mumbled back, falling asleep. Danni craned her neck around before smiling and settling herself into Cam's side more comfortably. The two fell asleep easily, content in the fact that the other was near.

~~~~~

" Uncle?" Kapri asked tentatively hours after she and Marah had let him out of the darkened command room.

" Yes?" Lothor asked, pouring over the now fixed panels.

" I was wondering if Marah and I might be allowed to go down to the surface?" Kapri questioned, trying her best not to sound afraid.

" Why would you want to go and do a thing like that?"

" To spy on the rangers of course." Kapri invented off the top of her head, giving an excuse her uncle would like.

" Go have your little picnic or whatever it is. Just leave me some Kelzacks on the ship."

" Thank you Uncle." Kapri smiled happily before ducking into place a kiss on her uncle's cheek.

" I'm too good to all of you." Lothor muttered as Kapri uncharacteristically skipped out of the room, leaving Lothor alone once more. " Ah, what's this?" He asked, glee in his voice at what came up on the viewer.

" Sir?" Zurgane asked, waiting in the doorway.

" Go watch my nieces and make sure they don't get into any trouble." Lothor commanded absently.

" Yes sir." Zurgane nodded, before placing his fist over his heart and bowing. He vanished to where the girls were eating their food on a secluded part of the beach.

" So my nephew has himself a little girlfriend." Lothor smiled, chuckling softly to himself.

~~~~~

" Where'd you spend the night Hunter?" Blake asked his brother as they stacked boxes in the backroom.

" I crashed at Dustin's." Hunter opted for the truth, while still knowing that he would edit out where *exactly* at Dustin's he had crashed.

" Dustin's?" Blake asked, avoiding looking at his brother. Blake knew about his brother's sexual preference but he had never been overly comfortable with the thought that Hunter had boyfriends instead of girlfriends.

" Yeah he asked if I wanted to watch a movie with him, Cam and Danni."

Blake nodded, straightening the box so it would fall from the shelf. " What about you and Tori? Wasn't she supposed to come over last night?" Blake felt himself reddening at his brother's words.

" Yeah she came over." He muttered, lifting another heavy box. Hunter grinned at his brother's reaction.

" She stayed the night didn't she?" Hunter questioned, grinning at his younger brother. Blake mumbled again, his tan skin flushing even more. " Way to go bro. Good thing I stayed over at Dustin's then, huh?" Blake nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment.

~~~~~

Shane had purposely stayed away from the areas his friends would be in: Storm Chargers, the beach and Ninja Ops, which left him the skate park and the woods to wander. Not feeling up for a long reflective walk in the woods, Shane had opted for riding his skateboard over to the skate-park.

Once there, however, he found he was less willing to try and pull tricks in hiss current mood than go for a walk among nature. Shane sat for a few moments on the park bench; idling moving his feet back and forth on the skateboard and watching the other skaters do their own tricks.

Standing up and sighing Shane was about to leave when a young female voice stopped him.

" Can you help me?" Shane turned to see a little girl, no more than nine or ten, looking ready to cry. Her hair was braided into two braids down her back, her jeans worn and tearing at the knees. Her shirt was smudged with dirt and the straps on the backpack on her back looked ready to snap at any moment.

" What's wrong?" He asked kneeling down but not reaching for the girl, which was his first instinct.

" I can't find my mommy." She answered sniffing. Her little hand went up to wipe at her running nose. He took his skateboard and put it on the back of his bag before he placed his helmet into the bag itself.

" What's your name?" Shane asked after looking around the park.

" Elizabeth Berkley." Shane smiled, standing up and offering his hand.

" Well Elizabeth, my name is Shane. Come on, let's go look for your mommy, okay?" Elizabeth nodded and took Shane's hand, leading him back to where she had last seen her mom.

The little girl led him back to a park bench, near the main road. " She told me to wait here." Elizabeth said. Shane looked around, hoping that some distraught woman would make herself seen so he could deposit Elizabeth with her.

" What's your mom look like?" He asked, squeezing the girls' hand gently to get her attention.

" She's got long brown hair and she's really tall, like you. My mommy's really pretty." Elizabeth answered. Shane smiled at the little kid answer.

" Do you know when your mother asked you to wait here?" Elizabeth nodded, her face suddenly turning serious. Shane sat down on his haunches to be eye-level with the girl. " When was that?"

" Two days ago."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doyles-always- Yeah I know exactly how you feel. It's why I'm taking her character a different direction when it comes to 'family' interactions… here's something that's always bugged me. How is Lothor their Uncle? I mean, they're at least Cam's age (at least) so he would have had to have been found and adopted by some evil space family rather quickly.

CamFan- Well I'm glad you didn't sign in because then I would only have gotten one review from you instead of two, lol.

So I was randomly looking up the character's names when I started looking at this. Blake and Hunter's names can be used for girls as well. Bent nose, hehehe. That one is going to tickle my funny bone for a while.

I am really, honestly being mean to Shane. How many thought that the voice that stopped him was some drop-dead gorgeous girl that was going to ask him out and then they were going to fall in love and all this other crap? Come on, raise of hands, I had to have gotten at least one of you. As it is, it's much worse.

What should Shane do about Elizabeth? Why did Lothor chuckle? What's he planning now that his hired help decided to quit? How far did Blake and Tori really go last night? When will Hunter come out and simply say he's dating Dustin? Where were Tori and Dustin in this chapter? And where has Sensei been in this story? I love ending a chapter with questions. It's so much fun.

Bye all, have a good life.


	17. New Threats

Title: Family Ties

Part Seventeen: New Threats

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni, Elizabeth, Mrs. Kelly, Andrew, Kevin, and Officer O'Brien. I think that's currently everybody.

Spoilers: I've actually been doing pretty good with this.

Summary: Not much of one. Shane goes to the police department, Tori talks with her mother and Cam and Danni share an interesting moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Excuse me, um, I'd like to report a missing child?" Shane told the officer at the counter of the police station.

" How long has the child been missing?" The officer, a Mr. O'Brien, didn't even bother looking up from the form he had pulled out.

" Two days." Shane answered, tightening his hold on Elizabeth's hand momentarily.

" What does the child look like?" At that Shane hoisted Elizabeth up so she could sit on the counter.

" Like this." Now he looked up, sending a dirty look to Shane.

" What is this, some kind of joke? Kids go missing all the time. This is filing a false police report you know. You could be sent to jail for that. Now get out of here before I get a mind to arrest you."

" But-" Shane tried desperately to explain.

" Git!" O'Brien snapped. Shane nodded, picking Elizabeth off the counter and carrying her.

" Looks like we'll have to wait until the next shift change." Elizabeth nodded, burying her head in Shane's shoulder as they walked back out into the bright light.

~~~~~

" Tori?" Tori snapped out of her daze at her mother's tone. She shifted so the phone was cradled against her shoulder.

" Yeah mom?"

" Are you sure everything's fine?" Tori smiled at her mother's concern, even over the crackling phone line.

" Yes, I'm doing laundry now, Kevin is over at a friend's house and I haven't burnt the food once."

" Which friends'?"

" Andrew's, mother." Tori sighed into the phone.

" Alright then. When will he be home?" Tori shifted around again so that she wouldn't drop the phone.

" He's spending the night since it's the weekend."

" When did Kevin go over?" Tori knew that her mother would be able to tell if she was lying, she also knew that her mother wouldn't like her answer.

" He went over yesterday after school. They had a project to work on and then Mrs. Kelly said it would be all right if he spent the night. I drove over some clean clothes and then came back home."

" Alright then dear. I have to go, long distance bill you know."

" I know. I love you mom."

" You too dear. Kisses." With that the phone went dead. Pulling it from between her shoulder Tori sighed before punching it off.

" Always away." She muttered before putting the phone down and shifting the basket on her hip. Tori's head perked up as she heard the doorbell ring. Setting the basket down at the top of the stairs Tori sprinted back down and through the living room to the front door.

" Shane?" She asked incredulously as her best friend stood on the doorstep with a little girl in his arms.

" She won't let go." Shane seemed panicked, but not for the reason he had given.

" Come on in."

~~~~~

" Danni?" Cam asked, groggily waking up later that afternoon. " Danni?" He called again, louder this time. Danni's smiling face poked out from the front door.

" Come on sleeping beauty, its time to make dinner."

" Dinner? We slept that long?" Cam yawned, adjusting his glasses, which had slipped from behind his ear. Danni smiled and went over to straighten up his shirt.

" You slept that long. I was up an hour ago." She grinned up at him, task forgotten for the moment.

" Why didn't you wake me?" He asked petulantly, his arms coming to rest around her back.

" You looked cute like that. I couldn't bear to wake you up." Cam smiled down at the girl in his arms. Tightening his grip Cam turned her around, wrapping one arm around her waist holding her arms in place and the other hand going to curl around her throat. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doyles-always- You read it so quickly you couldn't even take the time to get your hopes up? You need to slow down and enjoy the story man. And not much wrath, just me making those who did a nice little laugh at.

CamFan- Was this quick enough?

angel- I wouldn't hold your breath on the longer chapters. Sorry.

insanechildfanfic- I'm glad you think so.

I am being mean to Shane, but now I'm dragging Tori into it. This was basically focused around Shane/Elizabeth/Tori/Danni/Cam. It's the same day as the previous two (?) chapters and it will probably continue into the next chapter if not more than that.

What really is going to happen with Elizabeth? Why did Cam turn on Danni like that? Where is Tori's mom? Where is Sensei?! Why do I keep giving everyone siblings? Why do I keep asking you guys' questions that you won't be able to answer until I tell you? Well, I can actually answer the last one – because it's fun!

Bye all, have a good life.


	18. Rough Housing

Title: Family Ties

Part Eighteen: Rough Housing

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni, Elizabeth, Mrs. Kelly, Andrew, Kevin, Officer (Jared) O'Brien and Bobby. I think that's currently everybody.

Spoilers: Very, very, very few.

Summary: Shane, Tori, Elizabeth, Danni, Lothor, Marah, Kapri and Zurgane all make an appearance.

* * *

" Let's see if I have this right. She came up to you in the park, asked for your help, took you to where her mother had left her and then you went to the police station. Where they proceeded to yell at you. Right?" Tori asked, recounting the abbreviated version of what Shane had just told her.

" Yes." Shane sighed, putting an arm around Elizabeth as she wiggled into his side.

" What was the officer's name again?"

" O'Brien. Why?" Shane watched as Tori rolled her eyes and leaned back on the chair opposite him.

" He's got a stick up his- um… he's just a stick in the mud. I don't know why the guy ever became a cop in the first place."

" You know him?" Shane asked, sitting up slightly.

" Yeah, he's a friend of the family. If you want we can go back down to the station and I can give that- uh, him a piece of my mind."

" Shane." Elizabeth whispered, tugging on his shirt.

" Yeah?" He asked, leaning down so she could whisper in his ear. Tori struggled with not laughing as Shane's face turned red. " Tor, can she use your bathroom?" Shane refused to meet Tori's eyes as she did her best to keep a straight face.

" You remember where it is." Tori let out a chuckle as Shane's face turned crimson as he escorted Elizabeth to the bathroom. The phone rang just as they left the room.

" Hello?… Oh, hey Blake… No, I can't… Shane's over… Well I'm kinda busy, I already promised I'd help him with something… no it's not-… Could I please-… Look, it's not what you think and if you'd let me get a word in edgewise-… Hello? Hello?" Tori slammed the phone back into the cradle, huffing back into her chair.

" Something wrong?" Shane asked, Elizabeth in his arms.

" Just Blake being an idiot. Come on, let's get this over with."

* * *

" Tori! To what do I owe the pleasure? How are your parents?" Officer O'Brien asked from the front desk.

" Mom's fine Jared, she's on vacation. The reason I'm here-"

" Didn't I tell you to quit playing around?" Jared's face turned from pleasant and charming to a snarl when he caught sight of Shane and Elizabeth. Elizabeth started crying, hiding her face in Shane's shoulder. Tori's hand snaked out and wrapped itself around Jared's tie.

" They are the reason I'm here. My friend, Shane would like to report a missing child, this little girl. He found her earlier today while at the Skate Park. Now are you going to do your job or do I have to find your commanding officer?" Shane took a reflexive step back, knowing not to bug Tori when she was like this.

" Tori, you're kind of- Tori, you're choking me- Tori-" Jared's face was turning blue as Tori twisted the tie tighter.

" Are you going to help us or do I have to find your superior?" She took a half step back, bringing her hand with her, forcing Jared to half crawl on top of the counter.

" Okay, okay." He gasped out, trying to breathe. Tori suddenly let go and Jared fell back, landing on his butt behind the counter.

" Good boy." Shane just shook his head, stepping back up to the counter.

" Never, ever get on Tori's bad side, sweetie." Shane murmured to Elizabeth, earning him a glare from Tori. " What? It's the truth."

* * *

" I'm Lothor, Cameron's uncle." Lothor spoke, facing the cage.

" Nice to meet you… um… who's Cameron?" Danni's face twisted in confusion as Lothor did a double take, faltering in his step.

" What do you mean?"

Danni shrunk back from the bars as Lothor came closer. " I- I'm- I'm sorry. Now that I know who you are… who am I?" Lothor shouted an inarticulate scream. Danni slithered back into the corner, trying to get as far away from the evil space alien as possible.

Lothor walked out of the room, the door sliding shut behind him. Danni waited a few minutes before grinning wickedly.

" Idiot." She muttered before putting her plan of escape to work.

* * *

" How old are you?" Jared asked, still coughing occasionally.

" Seven." Elizabeth answered, sitting on Shane's lap.

" Height." At this the little girl looked up at Shane.

" We aren't sure." Jared sighed, rolling his eyes.

" Bobby! Can you bring me the yard stick?" The man stood up grinning, grabbed the yardstick and brought it over.

" So why are you stuck talking to these people? You hate kids, man." Bobby couldn't stop grinning.

" I didn't want to choke to death." Jared muttered yanking the stick out of Bobby's hands.

" And if you know what's good for you you'll go back to your desk now." Tori threatened, still angry.

" Are you threatening me?" Bobby's good nature suddenly turned sour. Tori stood and smiled at the man before her fingers reached out to pinch his ear and twist it.

" Please leave us." Bobby was doing his best not to say 'ow' and Tori released him just in time. " Thank you." She called as Bobby walked away, rubbing his reddening ear. " Where were we?"

* * *

" Marah, can you pass the sandwiches?" Kapri asked, both girls in the human form.

" Here." Marah answered, handing Kapri the plate. " You want anything Zurgane?" Marah asked, turning to the General.

" No thank you." Zurgane answered, trying to sleep in the shade under a rock overhang.

" Just ask if you need anything." Marah smiled indulgently at Zurgane. She turned her eyes to the ocean view in front of her. 'This is perfect. If only it could stay this way.'

* * *

Doyles-always- A bit of a ponce? LoL, I like that.

CamFan- I'm glad that last chapter was quick enough. Hoped this is keeping up with my standards for the story.

Again, extremely mean to both Shane and Tori and now, Blake. Of course I'm not being too nice to Jared or Bobby. I had the thought for the conversation between Tori and Shane but I also didn't remember how old I had made Elizabeth before so in my thought she was like three or four. Now she's seven. It still works.

I will be pulling Blake in soon, I hope. I decided not to put in his half of the conversation because I'm lazy. I hope everyone who is reading this likes it and decides to review. As it is CamFan and Doyles are my most loyal customers it seems, so they, of course, will have a bigger say in just what goes on.

If either of you have any suggestions or things you want to see I'll try to work it in ;)

Bye all, have a good life.


	19. Explanations of a OneTrack Mind

Title: Family Ties

Part Nineteen: Explanations of a One Track Mind

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni, Elizabeth, Mrs. Kelly, Andrew, Kevin, Officer (Jared) O'Brien and Bobby. I think that's currently everybody.

Spoilers: Very, very, very few.

Summary: Tori, Blake, Danni, Cam, Dustin, Hunter, Sensei (slight), Marah, Kapri and Zurgane all make an appearance.

()

" What do you mean, she's missing?" Dustin yelled at Cam later that evening.

" Dustin." Hunter placed a hand on Dustin's arm before turning to Cam. " What happened?"

" We fell asleep on the porch swing. She woke up about an hour before I did and went to make food. When I came to she was there but it wasn't her."

" Wait, what?" Tori asked, rubbing at her head, trying to piece this together.

" I woke up and someone who looked and sounded like Danni was standing in the doorway telling me to come make dinner."

" If she looked and sounded like Danni how did you tell the difference?" Blake asked, still upset from early when Tori had yelled at him.

" I love her. You can't photocopy a person well enough to get them to pass the inspection of a person who loves them."

" Hey guys." Danni called, walking into the silence that had descended. " That was very poetical Cameron. I didn't know you had it in you." Six ninjas and a guinea pig all jumped up, ready to attack at the slightest move. " Oh please. Dustin sit down before you get hurt."

" How do we know you're really Danni?" Danni rolled her eyes. Stepping over to Cam, she wrapped an arm around his neck and went to kiss him. After a few moments she pulled away, staying snuggled into his arms.

" It's her." Cam said after clearing his throat.

" Now that we have that cleared up. Lothor shouldn't be a problem for much longer." Dustin groaned.

" What did you do?" Hunter asked, turning worried eyes to his boyfriend.

" I set his spaceship on a permanent course for a galaxy far, far away where his majesty, Lothor, is wanted for trial. He should have a lot of fun with that."

" Are you serious?" Danni nodded. " That means we don't have to worry about him… for a while…"

" Only one thing." At the look everyone shot her she took a step back. " Kapri, Marah and Zurgane weren't aboard when it started its trek home."

()

" Um… Kapri?"

" What?" Marah's sister snapped at her, not bothering to look at the girl.

" I can't send us back to the ship. Something's wrong."

" Oh you dummy, you never were able to work this properly." Kapri shouted, snatching the device from Marah's hands. Pushing buttons Kapri sneered at her sister before pushing the button that would send them back to the ship. They all waited for a few seconds, but it didn't work. " You broke it. You had to."

" I'm sorry." Marah apologized quietly; eyes fixed on the ground. Zurgane touched her arm briefly as Kapri continued to rant and rave next to the water.

" Probably just a malfunction." Zurgane spoke softly.

" Actually," The three aliens turned at the voice that sounded behind them. " It works just fine."

" Who are you?" Kapri sneered, all of them dropping into battle mood.

" I'm Danni. I'm the one who sent Lothor on a trip home."

" This is Uncle's home." Kapri answered, speaking for all of them as usual. Danni smirked at the group.

" _Your_ home. That would be why you can't get back on the ship. It has already left orbit. Welcome to your new home ladies and gentleman. Hope you enjoy you permanent visit to Earth." With that Danni stood up from the ledge she'd been sitting on, bowed and disappeared in a streak of light.

()

" I still say you shouldn't use your ranger powers."

" And what was supposed to do? Swim back from Lothor's ship?"

" Well, no-" Cam was flustered and Danni took the advantage to place a quick kiss on his lips.

" That's what I thought. Now go to sleep."

()

" So you were just helping Shane with his stray kid problem?" Blake asked for the fifth time that night. Rolling her eyes Tori punched him lightly in the stomach before flopping over to straddle him.

" Yes, now shut up and watch the movie."

" You're not mad at me? I was acting like a jerk." He admitted, wrapping his arms around Tori's waist.

" You were acting like a jerk… what I am doing? I should leave right now before something good ever happens again." Tori moved to get up but Blake laughed, tightening his grip on her waist rolling over so that she was on the floor and he was on top of her.

" You wouldn't leave yet, would you?" Blake grinned down at his girlfriend, the movie playing explosions in the background.

" You are so lucky my brother's at his friends house." She answered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to kiss her.

" Very lucky indeed." He answered when he pulled from Tori for air.

()

Doyles-always- Glad you liked the chapter.

CamFan- Stop bouncing… actually on second thought, didn't I have a trampoline around here somewhere? Can I join you? LoL

Still only two reviewers… Oh well. Another chapter, late as always. But better late than never I always say. Of course someone's most likely going to say better still to be early than late _shrugs_

Another integration of Danni as a Power Ranger. I know I only made one reference really, maybe two, before so here's a second… or third. More Tori/Blake interaction which a few people have asked me for. As always, light on Sensei.

Bye all, have a good life.


	20. Accepting The Inevitable

Title: Family Ties

Part Twenty: Accepting the Inevitable

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni, Elizabeth, Mrs. Kelly, Andrew, Kevin, Officer (Jared) O'Brien and Bobby. I think that's currently everybody.

Spoilers: Very, very, very few.

Summary: The rangers (slight), Sensei, Shane, Elizabeth, Marah, Kapri and Zurgane all make an appearance.

&

" We're stuck here and it's all your fault! What are we supposed to do here?" Kapri whined later that night. Zurgane had finally had enough, raising one gloved hand to smack Kapri. The girl stood still from shock as tears welled in her eyes.

" We'll do what we have to, to survive. Unfortunately," Zurgane paused as he concentrated. With an imperceptible move, he looked human. " That means looking and acting human. At least until Lothor comes back for us."

" Which might be never." Kapri whined once more, looking for sympathy from someone.

" I didn't know you could do that." Marah stated, looking at Zurgane curiously. The young man standing in front of them blushed slightly at Marah's inquisitive look.

" It was a requirement for working with Lothor." He mumbled at the ground.

" Well it'll come in handy. Tomorrow we start looking for jobs. I guess… I guess this is home until we have more money." Marah looked around at the cave the three were sitting in, a small fire blazing in front of them.

" How are we…" Kapri trailed off, in a combination of shock and despair.

" We'll survive. Don't worry." Marah soothed, scooting closer to wrap an arm around her older sister. " It won't be so bad. Just think, when Uncle comes back we'll have so much information on humans that we'll be able to stop them without even having to work at it."

Kapri's timid and shaky voice asked what all three were thinking. " What if he doesn't come back?"

&

Lothor hid as the guards tramped through the ship. He knew that his luck wouldn't last for long, and even if he remained undiscovered, the ship would be impounded and incinerated.

" In here." A voice shouted several pairs of boots coming to stop above the hidey-hole Lothor was stationed in. He flattened himself tighter against the shadows but knew it was hopeless.

&

" So what are we going to do about Marah, Kapri and Zurgane?" Hunter questioned the next morning at Ninja Ops as the team was gathered around the low table.

" Wait." Sensei answered, deciding the issue by folding his arms over his chest.

" But-"

" Marah has taken some form of control over the others." Sensei said forcibly talking over Blake's objections. " She is a better person than Lothor ever was. Give them a short while and see what happens."

" Yes Sensei." All seven rangers said demurely, bowing shallowly to their ninja teacher before moving to file out of the room.

" Shane?" The little guinea pig questioned, stopping the boy from leaving.

" Yes Sensei?" He questioned, turning back and kneeling before the table.

" About the little girl in your care."

" Elizabeth." Shane closed his eyes, holding back the anger that someone could leave a little girl on her own like that.

" Yes about her. You are allowed to bring her here if you need a place to keep her when your parents return."

" But… Sensei-"

" I am well aware of the risks but I doubt your mother and father would be open to a little girl leaving with you."

" Actually Sensei… my parents aren't coming back from vacation." Shane stopped embarrassed and more than a little hurt. Sensei simply waited for him to continue. " They- they moved with my brother. They sold the house and I've… I've been living in an apartment…" Shane trailed off, fighting back the constant tears that had been threatening to overwhelm him since his parents had made the announcement.

" In that case." Sensei paused, hoping that the boy would accept the offer. " You can both stay here."

" But-"

" End of discussion. Bring your possessions along with, Elizabeth?, later tonight and I will make sure you are comfortably set up."

" Thank you Sensei." Shane bowed gratefully, standing up at the same time and turning to leave. " Please. Please don't tell the others just yet." Sensei nodded his agreement and Shane left.

&

" Elizabeth?" Shane questioned, coming into the darkened room. The little girl suddenly flew out of nowhere, launching herself at his legs, crying. Shane crouched down to look at her. " What's wrong?"

" Powers out." She sniffled between sobs clinging to his neck as he stood up. He wrapped his arms around her so she wasn't dangling and went to flip the light switch. Shane clicked it up and down a couple of times before giving up.

" Flashlight around here somewhere. And we don't have to worry about this anymore." Elizabeth sniffled, her little voice lost in her tears. " No we don't. We're gonna go stay with my ninja teacher. I told you about Sensei?" Shane questioned, distracting the girl from the dark as he rummaged for a flashlight. Elizabeth nodded her head, eyes closed and pressed tight into his shoulder.

" He's offered to let us stay at the school. Now we just have to get our stuff over there." Shane flicked the flashlight on the four or five boxes and the two duffel bags he had brought with him from his house. " Shouldn't be too hard. And since I won't have to pay rent we can go get you some clean clothes tomorrow, okay?"

Elizabeth nodded again and Shane sat down, rocking the little girl to sleep.

&

Doyles-always- No it wasn't the last chapter, just the latest in my writers block. So what did you think of this one?

CamFan- &joins him on the tramp& You know, we probably shouldn't be on here at the same time… no popcorn now… I don't feel like flying… (don't ask)

More Sensei interaction and more bad news on the Shane front. What is it about me and torturing that poor boy. Anyway he and Elizabeth will be moving to Ninja Ops, what will the others say to that? shocked expressions

I seem to have lost all my reviewers (except my two favorites ;)) after chapter 16. What happened?!?!?! Oh well.

Bye all, have a good life.

&

(I am really seriously getting annoyed with this f&#k$ng Quickedit.)


	21. Its Harder Than It Seems

Title: Family Ties

Part Twenty-One: Its Harder Then It Seems

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni, Elizabeth, Mrs. Kelly, Andrew, Kevin, Officer (Jared) O'Brien and Bobby. I think that's currently everybody.

Spoilers: Very, very, very few.

Summary: Tori, Blake (slight), Danni, Cam, Sensei, Shane, Elizabeth, Marah, Zurgane, Kevin, Hunter & Dustin (implied), Kapri (mentioned). Elizabeth gets a surprise and then the Rangers find out some disturbing information.

&

Danni stretched, making her back crack as she sat up in the bed. Suddenly she was pulled back down to the mattress as Cam sleepily blinked up at her.

" It's not even five yet." He mumbled. When it looked like Danni was going to wriggle her way away from him, Cam rolled over, putting more of his weight on her body. " Go back to sleep."

Danni smiled and obliged her soon-to-be husband.

&

" Kapri?" Marah questioned, knocking on the door to the bathroom in the apartment that she and Kapri shared with Zurgane. When there was no answer Marah rattled the doorknob and finding it locked.

" Zurgane?" Marah called over her shoulder, getting the man's attention from the room over.

" What's wrong?" The three hadn't been in their normal forms for so long. Marah could barely remember what Zurgane looked like as an alien.

" Kapri's been in the bathroom for an hour now. You know how she's been lately. I'm scared she'd do something stupid." Zurgane nodded and motioned for Marah to step back.

Zurgane took a running charge at the door, slamming into with his shoulder and breaking it open. Marah looked in past the doorframe, more frightened but what she didn't see than what she did see.

" The window's not nearly big enough. Where'd she go?" Zurgane questioned the girl, turning to look back at her. Marah just shrugged.

" We have to tell them."

&

" Sensei?" Elizabeth's voice was heard from down the hall. While it had been odd at first to have a rodent sensei, Elizabeth had gotten used to it just as soon as Cam managed to break the spell on his father.

" Yes Elizabeth?" Sensei turned to see the eleven-year-old come into the room.

" Have you seen Dad?" A little bit after Shane and Elizabeth had moved into Ninja Ops Shane had become the seven-year-olds' father. Four years later and they still hadn't found her real family.

" He's still at work. Though I am supposed to take you to Aunt Tori's house."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up at that thought, wanting to see Kevin. The boy may have been six years older than her but that didn't stop the crush from settling on one of her friends.

" When are we going?"

Sensei smiled fondly at the girls' enthusiasm. " As soon as you are ready to go." Elizabeth bolted for her room, changing into normal clothes and pulling tennis shoes on.

" Ready!" She shouted, running as fast as lightening past Sensei. Kanoi just shook his head and followed at a more sedate pace. " Are you coming or not?" Elizabeth called as she raced back down the stairs.

&

" Happy birthday!" Elizabeth walked straight into the surprise party. Streamers were everywhere in Tori and Blake's little house, presents were piled on the table and cake was being held by Tori. Shane was standing next to Tori, a smile on his face.

Elizabeth grinned and did a running leap at Shane, causing him to stumble and nearly fall backwards. " Thank you." She whispered before pressing a kiss to his cheek. Elizabeth let go and scrunched her eyes up tight before blowing out the candles on the cake.

" Presents!" She and Kevin made a dash for the present tables trying to decide which ones to open up first. All of Elizabeth's school friends and the two of Kevin's friends gathered around the table as Elizabeth opened her birthday presents.

" Guess cake comes next." Tori commented, happily setting the iced creation down on the little table in the hallway.

" Tori this is amazing, I can't thank you enough for doing this." Tori just smiled, Blake coming to wrap his arms around her waist.

" Not like we could do this at Ninja ops."

" Still. Thank you." Tori didn't have time to respond as a knock sounded at the door.

" I'll get it." Danni commented, walking the two steps to the doorway. " Marah." Danni said in surprise. The alien woman nodded, stepping inside the doorway, followed by Zurgane.

" What are you doing here?" Despite having lived in Blue Bay Harbor for four years, interaction between the Rangers and the Aliens had been minimal.

" Kapri's missing. Given her continuing… dislike," Danni snorted at the comment, closing the door behind Zurgane. " Of the Rangers we figured it would be a good idea to tell you."

" What do you mean missing?" Shane questioned, sparing a glance for the partygoers opening gifts.

" She…" Marah trailed off not sure how to put it.

" Kapri's been in a slump lately. Stopped going to her job, got fired, stayed at home all day. Today she went into the bathroom and didn't come out. When we got the door open she wasn't in the bathroom. The window was open and even if it was, it's too small for her to fit in."

The Rangers looked around at each other, not sure what they were supposed to do about this.

&

Doyles-always- Bad news as in Shane's parents. Anyway, I finally updated… took me way too long.

CamFan- Sorry 'bout that. Yeah that probably is why I have no reviewers.

You know what's twisted? I was trying to make this the last chapter and I just couldn't. I tried so hard. Anyway, for those of you who didn't quite get it, this is four years in the future from the last chapter. I basically just jumped started you into the future.

Character Updates (In Chapter):

Danni and Cam are engaged.

Tori and Blake are married.

Elizabeth and Shane still live at Ninja Ops.

Elizabeth is twelve now.

Sensei is no longer in rodent form.

Bye all, have a good life.


	22. The End

Title: Family Ties

Part Twenty-Two: The End

Author: Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I own Danni, Elizabeth, Mrs. Kelly, Andrew, Kevin, Officer (Jared) O'Brien and Bobby. I think that's currently everybody.

Spoilers: Very, very, very few.

Summary: The Rangers find out where Kapri is.

&

"So what are we going to do?" The rangers were seated around the table at Ninja Ops. They'd left Kevin in charge of the birthday party, apologized to Elizabeth who didn't mind at all, and left to discuss Kapri.

"We have to find her." Danni pointed out. "We don't know if she's a threat or not until we know where she is. For all we know her being gone means Lothor is back. Or that someone worse is out there." Cam wrapped his arm around Danni's shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

Marah sat with her head in her hands. She blamed herself for the situation they were now in. If she had told the rangers about Kapri earlier they might have been able to design a tracker or something to put on her. A hand came to rest on top of her head. She looked to the side, between her fingers, and saw Zurgane smile reassuringly at her.

"It's not your fault." He whispered.

"Wanna bet?" Marah turned her face back towards the table, her palms pressed into her eyes.

"Marah, Zurgane's right. It's not your fault." Blake said, having heard the exchange. "Kapri… Kapri would have found a way to disappear.

"Marah? Do you have any hair of Kapri's? Like from a hairbrush or something?" Cam questioned during the lengthening lull. Everyone but Danni looked at him like he was from another planet.

"We could… design a program to track Kapri…" Danni trailed off as her mind instantly tried to work through the idea. She and Cam turned to the computer banks and started arguing quietly, forgetting everyone else was there.

Marah shrugged and Zurgane teleported back to the apartment they shared, coming back with a comb that Kapri used regularly. Danni took the proffered brush and then went back to arguing with Cam.

"Guess we should just let them work." Hunter commented. Dustin nodded, knowing better than to interrupt his sister when she was working on something.

&

"Hey guys, we found her!" Cam's ecstatic voice came over the rangers' comm. systems almost six hours later. Everyone else had returned to Elizabeth's birthday party and let the two work in peace.

"Where is she?" Marah spat the words out first and loudest, heard over everyone's babbling.

"Strewn in about six different places around the world." Cam answered.

"She attempted a transport. It… ripped her to pieces."

Everyone was silent as they contemplated the new information. It was harder for Marah to process than anyone else, for obvious reasons, and she started crying in Zurgane's shoulder.

"Well… I guess we don't have to worry about that." Blake commented. Tori hit him lightly and off-handedly in the shoulder.

_ The rangers lived happily and peacefully ever after… or as peacefully as you can live when you share a house with your brother, his boyfriend and your husband. Yeah, that's right, Dustin's still threatening Cam with bodily harm._

_ Be well._

&

Doyles-always- No this is the last chapter. I appreciate that you think it's the end of an era, that makes me feel real good. Anyway I have other stories you can read (hint, hint)

CamFan- Thanks for always reviewing.

I know this ending really sucks. I just couldn't keep dragging this out though. I have no motivation and my muse is absolutely refusing to help. Maybe one day I'll go back and correct all of the many and obvious mistakes I made when writing this and give it a better ending.

Character Updates (In Chapter):

Kapri is scattered to the winds due to a faulty transportation attempt.

Danni and Cam are married

Hunter and Dustin live with Danni and Cam (in Dustin and Danni's parent's house)

Bye all, have a good life.


End file.
